


Ton Up

by TheHatterTheory



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Amputation, Angst, Canon Divergence, Character Development, Comedy, Developing Relationship, Disabled Character, F/M, Feral Behavior, First Time, Fluff, Humor, Mates, Mechanics, Mildly Dubious Consent, Motorcycles, Multi, Other, Polyamory, Possessive Behavior, Racing, Romance, Unsafe Sex, Unsafe driving
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-11-04 09:07:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 140,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHatterTheory/pseuds/TheHatterTheory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Until the thrill of Speed overcomes the fear of Death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A Note:** This is going to be the Uncut version of Ton Up. Have fun guys, and don't forget to review! My muses and I adore them.

 

Kagome and her friends ambled along the sidewalk, talking about post graduation plans and possible summer plans. Spring break had only just ended, and already the other three girls were craving summer and the freedom it would entail. College was just around the corner, and all four of them were going to universities in different cities.

“I think a long vacation would be good,” Eri said again. “Just us girls.”

“We could rent a cabin or beach house if we all pooled our resources,” Ayumi added.

It wasn't a bad idea. Her adventure into the past and subsequent, abrupt disconnection from the feudal era had only made her more aware of how precious friendships were, and with college taking them to different parts of the country, she wanted to get as much time with them as she could.

“My uncle own a hotel in Hokkaido, it's not far from the beach. I bet I could talk him and my dad into letting us stay for free as a graduation present,” Yuka said, a sly smile stretching her lips. “You know dad's been having empty nest syndrome, and I'm not even out of the house yet,” She added with a laugh.

It wasn't far from the truth. Yuka's father had been tripping over himself to give her everything she could want lately, and it showed, from her new luggage to help her prepare for her dorm to the new car he had bought for her despite the fact that she still only had a learners permit. Kagome supposed having a rich widower father wasn't a bad situation to be in, although she knew Yuka and her father would trade everything for her mother back. 

She was about to give her agreement when the sound of engines thundered and rumbled, pulling around the corner and coming to a quick halt, feet coming to the ground. The first motorcycle to stop waited patiently for the other two, which quickly caught up.

“Punks,” Eri muttered, even though none of them could see anything of the driver's faces. Red, blue, and green helmets matched to their bikes and jackets, although the red and green bikes were accented by black while the blue motorcycle was accented with steel, although his jacket, like the others, was black accented with his color.

One of them, the one wearing a bright red and black jacket turned, the sun reflecting off of his helmet's tinted visor. His gloved hand came up and waved.

Eri and Ayumi giggled, and Kagome turned, surprised to see Yuka waving her hand in front of her face, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Blushing hotly because of her friend's behavior, she looked back over to the three men, even more surprised when the one in the blue helmet had pulled it off, revealing tawny skin and long black hair pulled back in a pony tail.

“You're just not used to the smell of men yet, don't worry, you'll get there,” He shouted over the sound of the engines, his smirk almost a sneer.

“Drop dead!” Yuka shouted back, but he wasn't looking at Yuka anymore.

He was looking at Kagome, the color draining from his dusky skin and his mouth opening, as if he meant to say something, but he'd been robbed of his voice.

“Come on,” Yuka demanded when one of the riders revved the engine of his bike. “They're just stupid punks,” She said, grabbing Kagome's arm and pulling her away with the others. Breaking the staring contest, she allowed herself to be dragged away from the corner.

“What jerks,” Yuka continued, obviously angry. “I can't believe-”

“They didn't do anything until you did something,” Kagome pointed out, pulling her arm free of her friend's grasp. “Besides, that was really rude.”

“They waved at us,” Yuka Eri shot out, as if it had been some great crime for one of the riders to simply wave.

“And? It's not like they were going to jump off of their bikes and attack us or anything. He just waved.”

Eri and Yuka didn't listen, which she was used to. Sometimes they both spiraled off into their own worlds, leaving her and Ayumi behind. Not that she minded. Usually it was entertaining to watch, and she and Ayumi would both giggle at their fervor, but it just rubbed her the wrong way this time. There was nothing wrong with waving at someone, and Yuka's reaction had been completely out of bounds.

“I agree with you. I don't think he was doing anything wrong,” Ayumi admitted quietly. “I still can't believe she did that though, and for something so small.”

“She's just been tightly wound lately. As much as her dad is is going to miss her, she's going to miss him too,” Kagome added.

Ayumi nodded in agreement, a secretive smile dancing on her lips before it was hidden. They shared a quiet chuckle at their friend's antics as they headed for their favorite study spot.

 

* * *

 

She stared at the display of boxes, trying not to flush as others walked by. Even though she knew it was utterly ridiculous, it felt like everyone in the store was watching her, waiting for her to pick a box. Good lord, how was she going to walk out with three when trying to pick even one was difficult?

“Guys usually like that kind,” A voice said, startling her as a finger pointed over her shoulder at the shelves. She turned, more than ready to shout that she wasn't buying them for a guy when she paused, recognizing him almost instantly. It wasn't because he had left a huge impression, they hadn't even spoken to one another, but his jacket and the blue helmet he carried in a careless grip reminded her of that day, making him easy to place.

He was much taller than she remembered, easily towering a foot over her.

“I'm not buying them for a guy,” She muttered, face heating. She hoped he didn't remember her, or her friends. “They're for a gag gift for my friend's birthday.”

His brows lifted in surprise, then a smirk lifted the corner of his lips as he looked back to the display, and then to her again.

“And you're still embarrassed?”

“I'm not embarrassed,” She stuttered, her blush heating even further, giving away the lie.

His expression said plainly enough that he didn't believe her. Rolling his eyes, he reached over her shoulder and grabbed a box from the shelf and held it out.

“The colored ones are usually stupid enough to make someone blush,” He told her when she stared at it.

“I need three different kinds,” She admitted as she accepted the box. He reached around her again.

“For disbelief,” He said, giving her a box of extra large condoms before reaching back to the shelf and dragging his fingertips over boxes. “And for chuckles,” He added, grabbing a box labeled 'glow in the dark'.

Great. Now that she had them, she had to muster the courage to actually purchase them.

“You've never done this before, have you?” He asked, obviously amused as she looked from the boxes to the counter. She shook her head mutely, figuring lying would be pointless. Besides, she might look even worse if she did.

“Give 'em here,” He sighed, grabbing the boxes from her hands and dropping them in his helmet before walking past her.

“Hey, wait!” She sputtered, face heating even more as he walked straight for the register. He obviously wasn't going to steal them, but why would he pay for them?

“You can pay me back outside, I'll meet you out at my bike,” He threw over his shoulder carelessly, not pausing once in his long legged stride.

She wanted to stop him, but really, what was the point? He was doing her a favor. As long as he didn't expect anything in return other than a thank you, she supposed it was alright. And if he did, well, she was more than willing to give buying them herself another shot. Quickly exiting the store, making every effort not to look at the counter, she looked at the small parking lot, relieved to see only one motorcycle there. She walked over to it, suddenly feeling even smaller than before. He had made her feel short, but the motorcycle looked almost monstrous, the seat itself reaching her waist.

“Have you ever ridden one?” He asked, startling her from her observation of the machine. She quickly shook her head and reached into her purse, ready to pull the money out. He shook his head and offered her the bag.

“Just tell me they're for the rude one.”

Her whole face had to be on fire. It certainly felt like it.

“No,” She mumbled, absolutely mortified that he did remember her. And her friends. He seemed put out at her confession, but was shrugging his shoulders and giving her the bag anyway.

“Well, since I can't even get that much, how about you let me give you a ride to wherever you're going?”

“I don't think that's a good idea,” She blurted, more afraid of the bike than the stranger.

“Why not?” He asked, looking confused. Then his expression darkened, understanding her meaning.

“Look, I'm not some punk,” He told her. “And I wasn't going to carry you off to some dark place and hurt you. I was just offering you a ride.”

She was about to apologize, after all, he really did look offended, almost hurt, as if she'd accused him of being a murderer or rapist instead of just being a stranger. But he was throwing his leg over the bike and pulling on his helmet, all in a smooth economy of motion that would have impressed her if she hadn't felt like she'd just called him a criminal.

“I'm-”

The rest was lost in the roaring of his engine as the motorcycle came to life. She stepped away, surprised by the sudden noise, and watched him speed out of the parking lot.

“Nice going, Kagome,” She muttered to herself, watching him gain speed and disappear around the corner.

When she finally got to Yuka's house, she felt even more miserable, especially so when Yuka exclaimed and giggled over 'her' choice of condoms, giving her cheers for bravery and imagination. Unable to tell the truth, she nodded and mumbled some sort of affirmative.

By the end of the night, she had been pulled into the party spirit, but the stranger was only half forgotten.

 

* * *

 

She stared down at the pictures, musing over the designs and the people pictured therein. She had picked it up on a whim, the magazine catching her eye while she had been at the bookstore. Almost all of the motorcycles pictured were like his, although none of them quite matching it.

“Longing for your bad boy ex?” Eri asked, brow raised as she took a seat across from her.

“No, just saw this and was curious,” She admitted quietly. The others still didn't know about her run in with the stranger, and she wasn't keen on telling them, especially not Yuka or Eri. Both seemed to think that because she didn't date, she was still hung up on her 'bad boy ex' Inu Yasha. Although it had been almost three years since her feudal adventure, she still carried the memories close to her heart.

“So why the magazine?” Eri asked, breaking through her reverie.

Kagome wondered if Eri remembered that day at all. It had been almost two months, and they'd all been busy, their finals and upcoming graduation consuming almost every brain cell they had to spare. Now that they only awaited graduation and their -she felt, well deserved- summer vacation in Hokkaido. The idea of spending a few weeks in a spa and on the beach was enough to make her want to pack her bags and skip the last few weeks of school and graduation ceremony.

“I was just curious,” She repeated, closing the magazine and stuffing it into her bag.

“If you ever got a motorcycle, your mom would flip,” Eri snickered.

Kagome wondered, for a moment, if her mother really would flip. Motorcycles could be dangerous, more so than cars, but the idea of being able to feel the wind rushing by her as she raced down a road brought back bittersweet memories of clinging to Inu Yasha as he ran full speed through the feudal era.

It probably wouldn't be anything like it, she mused. She would have to pay attention to her surroundings, would have to steer and control a machine, which would be accompanied by the smell of machines. But there was something welcoming in those differences something that broke from the past and offered something new while allowing her a link to what had been.

“Have you talked to your mom about Hokkaido yet?” Eri prodded, bringing her back to the present.

“Yeah, she said it was fine. Apparently once you hit eighteen your parents allow you to run away from home,” She added with a laugh.

Eri made a disagreeable noise, puffing out her bangs with an exasperated breath. “Hardly, my dad threw a fit when my mom said it would be okay. He says since I only have the summer left with them before going to college, I should spend it at home.”

“It's only a few weeks,” Kagome pointed out thoughtfully.

“That's what my mom and I said, but did he listen? No,” Eri whined.

Kagome allowed her friend to complain about her father, smiling at her obvious irritation. It was amusing, in a way, to watch and listen to. Eri would always be oblivious to the small things, and though her father had died long ago, she envied her friend the moments she had.

“Hey guys,” Yuka greeted, breaking through Eri's griping and sitting down next to her. Kagome nodded, offering her own hello in return as Eri launched into her complaint, starting at the beginning so that the new arrival could sympathize and rage with her as she went through it all over again.

 

* * *

 

Cameras flashed as she and her friends posed together, smiles wide and laughter echoing freely as they threw their arms over eachother's shoulders and posed. With each flash of the camera they made a different face, reveling in the last moments of their high school career.

When the flashes finally stopped they let out another cheer, and Kagome hugged her mother tightly before handing her the black graduation cap and shrugging out of her graduation robe, revealing her jeans and tank top. Her mother too the robe and folded it over her arm.

“Have fun sweetheart,” Her mother said, her smile warm as she gave her another hug. Nodding and quickly embracing her grandfather and brother, she gave a wave and dashed over to where her friends waited, still waving and calling out goodbyes to her family.

“Come on Kagome, we'll be late for the ferry!” Yuka called out, making her pick up her pace. The ferry tickets had been an expensive gift from Yuka's father, and on top of everything else he had arranged for their summer vacation, she didn't want to be the reason he had to reschedule them at even further expense to himself.

“We've got two hours to get to Oarai,” Eri moaned. “Let's stop to get some food.”

“There's food on the ferry,” Yuka snorted as they jogged for her car. “I just want to get there and in our suite. It won't be real until I'm on the water.”

Once they were on the Joban expressway, it felt like a dream vacation was starting. The windows were open and the music was loud, and they all sang as Yuka, with her newly acquired license, navigated the light traffic.

The ferry was larger than Kagome thought it would be, and when a valet took the car and their suite numbers to deliver their luggage.

“He was cute,” Eri giggled, eyes on the valet as he got into the car.

“He was,” Ayumi agreed, although her voice was quieter, and she was blushing as she said it.

“I think I'll try to get his number,” Yuka joked.

Kagome had nothing to add, because she hadn't found him cute. If anything, he reminded her too much of Hojo, who had gone to a different high school and almost vanished completely from her mind until the valet had been called to her attention.

“I'm starving,” Eri declared as they made their way up the gangplank and onto the boat.

“I'm tired. My mom got me up at five this morning, I think she was more excited for me than I was,” Ayumi giggled. “I think I'm going to go nap.”

“I'm hungry too.”

“I think I'll go on deck,” Kagome said quietly. “I just need air.”

“Nervous?” Yuka asked, brow raised and a playful smile tilting up the corner of her lips.

“No, I just like to see the water.”

“Suit yourself, we'll see you back in the suite.”

She followed the signs away from her friends and to the stairs leading to the private deck for the first class passengers. After wandering through a winding hallway and up two flights of stairs, she was relieved to smell salty air and feel cool, damp air.

The heavy door slammed closed behind her, but she was already halfway over the slick deck and to the rails. They hadn't pulled away from the port yet, but she was facing the other side, eyes on Hokkaido in the distance. She supposed that after it was all said and done, this summer was her last chance to explore things that she wouldn't have time for in college, to reach outside of herself and perhaps touch on the person she had been only a few years before.

Since her return from the feudal era, she had been a model student, a perfect daughter, and the sort of best friend girls dreamed of. In the process of becoming that person, she had left the adventure seeker behind. Yuka had reiterated over and over, again and again, that this would be their summer to be crazy and wild. While crazy and wild didn't really appeal to her, the thought of adventure, of something new and exciting, did.

And if happy coincidence played into it, well, she had learned to never look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In Japan, where the culture is obsessed with cleanliness, insinuating someone smells is a bigger insult than giving the finger.  
> The ferry that runs from Oarai to Hokkaido is called the Sunflower, and it is roughly a nineteen hour trip one way. The ship itself is a sort of mini cruise liner, complete with different class suites and restaurant. The drive from Tokyo to Oarai is roughly an hour.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha or two the hotel or track mentioned in the story (both of which are real and do exist)

She watched Ayumi close the door to the suite quietly, in deference to the 'illness' that had struck quite suddenly. Of course the illness was feigned, not that she would admit it to her friends, but she had bypassed 'desperate' on the sixth day of spa treatments and soaking in hot springs, and their determination to go to the beach had provided the perfect opportunity. They would be gone for several hours, and she, given her not-quite-real illness, had the day to herself.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate being treated like a queen. It was certainly more than she had expected when Yuka had mentioned having an uncle that owned a hotel. And it wasn't that she wanted to lie to her friends or hide something from them, because she had done more than enough of that when she was fifteen. But her plan was something her friends wouldn't be interested in, especially given Yuka's reaction months before, which was minuscule compared to the fact that she wanted the time for herself.

After half an hour, once she was positive they were gone from the hotel itself, she threw herself from the bed and quickly changed, barely taking the time to scrawl a note saying she had gone for a walk for some fresh air before grabbing her phone and wallet and leaving the room.

Luckily the hotel had several taxis on call, and it only took a few moments to be on her way, giving the driver the address. Her stomach felt filled with butterflies and she tried to take her mind off of the nervousness by watching the scenery as it passed. The driver didn't attempt to make conversation, instead turning the radio on to an old rock station, which didn't bother her in the least.

Each minute stretched into a small eternity, her eyes shifting from the window next to her to the front window to see if it had come into view.

“Not far,” The driver finally chuckled, obviously noticing her fidgeting and inquiring gaze.

“Thank you,” She said with a blush, looking back out of the passenger window. Feeling strangely like she was going to explode out of her skin, she couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited. Even if nothing was going to happen, she would have a chance, hopefully, to at least watch other people on motorcycles, and that was really all that mattered to her. If there were motorcycles there, she could talk to the riders, maybe learn more. If she could persuade someone to take her seriously at least.

Chewing her lip nervously, she gave the driver her fare and hopped out when he announced that they had arrived.

“I'll wait for you here,” He told her.

“Oh, that's not-”

“It's fine miss,” He said, giving her a good natured smile. She nodded, secretly relieved that she wouldn't have to wait when she needed to get back to the hotel. The possibility she wouldn't see any motorcyclists that day also lingered, even though the website's calender had confirmed that the track was open to riders for the day.

The sound of engines in the distance echoed and she smiled, forcing herself to take measured steps past the empty ticket booths instead of running. Following signs pointing her to the stands, she took the followed the stairs to the bleachers closest to the track itself, surprised by the enormity of it. Trees hid different loops from view, but she could see someone speeding along the track itself, weaving in and out of the loops and hugging curves so tightly he looked ready to tip over at any second.

Her spirits sunk minutes later when she noticed other people in one of the pit areas. That area was closed off, and she saw no way to access it. Which meant, most likely, that she wouldn't be able to talk to anyone.

Hugging her knees, she watched the rider as he continued, weaving different paths around the complicated maze of the circuit. Briefly she wondered if he was a professional racer. He was more than good, he was fantastic, at least she thought so. Although she wasn't sure she could ever ride like he was. When he took curves almost on his side she hugged her knees tighter, held her breath and prayed he was okay.

It was addictive, watching someone ride like that. The dangers were obvious, but in the twenty minutes he rode, she felt like she was on a roller coaster, eyes on him every moment he was in sight, and when he went behind the trees and out of her vision, her heart paused, waiting for him to come back into view.

When it was over and he slowed, pulling over and stopping at the small group gathered in the pit area, she released an unexpected sigh of relief and relaxed her hold on her knees. Then the group disappeared into the building, the rider walking the bike into some unseen garage. She waited, hoping for a return.

After fifteen minutes, she realized that they had finished for the day and tried not to feel too disappointed. She was almost to the eerily empty ticketing area when she heard a voice call out. Assuming the person was shouting at someone else, because she didn't know anyone else, she kept walking.

“Damn it, wait up!” The voice called. Stopping and turning, she was surprised to see a figure running at her. What shocked her even more was the pony tail bouncing from side to side as he ran, and then familiar features becoming distinct as he finally got close enough to discern them.

“You,” She stuttered, wondering at her rotten luck. Of all the people to have run into, she had to run into the one person she had probably offended the worst.

Obviously it was karma, almost instant and bitterly ironic, rewarding her for lying to her friends.

“You don't have to sound so excited,” He muttered, stopping short and looking as if she'd smacked him for doing something nice. Which she had, however unintentionally.

“I'm sorry,” She blurted, mortified that it came out half garbled in her nervousness. “That day, I didn't mean anything against you, not like you thought. I just don't accept rides from strangers. You seem like a really nice guy, and I was rude,” She finished, the words just as rushed as her initial apology had been.

Certain she couldn't be any more embarrassed if she tried, she spun on her heel and began walking for the cab, determined to get to it before making an even bigger fool of herself. Instinctively guessing it would be her luck to trip on something, she took care to avoid the uneven pavement while trying to ignore his impatient shouting behind her.

“Wait up, hey, I said wait!” He demanded. She could hear his boots hitting the ground and the rustling of the armor built into his racing suit as he walked faster to catch up with her. Knowing that if he managed to catch her, she would say something even more foolish, she quickened hr pace even more, a spark of hope igniting in her chest when she saw the cab further down the parking lot.

“Damn it Kagome, will you just stop for two seconds?” He finally shouted.

She stopped, stuck fast as her heart skipped and stuttered in her chest.

Desperately scanning her brain for a moment when she had given him her name, she scoured through the few moments they had shared and couldn't recall giving it to him.

Was he a stalker? Had he followed her? But he couldn't have known she would visit the track, which made no sense.

“Finally,” He said, coming up to her side. “Will you just give me a minute to talk to you?”

“How do you know my name?” She asked dumbly, looking up at him.

“Like I'd forget you any time soon.”

Had they gone to school together? But he looked like he could easily be three or four years older than her. Had they played together as children, or was he related to one of her childhood friends?

“I'm sorry, but I don't remember you,” She finally admitted, searching his face for any clue to an identity. The shape and tilt of his head, the smirk reminded her of someone, but she couldn't figure out who. None of her friends had similar facial shapes, and she was positive she'd remember someone like him.

“This is probably one of those discussions better had sitting down,” He sighed, jerking his head back towards the track entrance. “Just, give me five minutes. You can leave after that if you want.”

Wary of whatever it was he had to say, she nodded hesitantly. Obviously it was not going to go well if he thought she needed to sit down before being told. Likewise, only bad news was given in such a short amount of time. Almost afraid of what he would say, she ran through a hundred possibilities in her head as she followed, realizing he was taking them to the bleachers instead of the pit area.

An engine boomed to life, echoing over the empty track as they took their seats. Her earlier fascination with the riders and their motorcycles quashed beneath the weight of her worry, she ignored the track completely. Instead she watched his face cycle through a dozen different expressions, each one open enough that she could tell that he was as nervous as she was. Confusion, fear, frustration, anger, sadness and even hints of mirth before resignation seemed to weigh down on him.

“Ginta is the one on the track,” He finally said, voice rough. “Hakkaku is in the garage working on the other bike.”

For the first minute, his declaration made no sense. Then the names registered, and she wondered if she hadn't hallucinated him speaking.

“What?”

Because, really, she needed to make sure she had heard correctly, or she really would make a bigger fool of herself than she already had.

“I'm Yuuma to most people,” He finally said. “But I'm Kouga to my friends.”

The sound of the motorcycle completely faded away until there was only oppressive, deafening, stifling silence. She stared at him, wondering if she'd lost her mind. Maybe she really was sick and just didn't know it. Maybe Ayumi's observation that she had felt a little feverish hadn't been as off base as she'd believed.

Or maybe he was telling the truth, which was perhaps even more terrifying than her first guesses.

It wasn't a drastic change, and when she saw the small things, the eyes lightening into pale, steel blue, the hint of fangs swelling against his lips, the pointed tips of ears exposed by his pulled back hair, she felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.

“Kouga,” She whispered, stunned by the realization that, even though centuries had passed, he had barely changed.

“Kagome,” He said, shoulders hunching, as if expecting her to either flee or strike him.

She threw her arms around him, completely ignoring the fact that she almost toppled them both backwards as she hugged him tightly, determined to make sure he was real and not a figment of her imagination. When his arms wrapped around her, strong and warm despite the leather and padding of his racing suit, she began laughing, joy bubbling up in her throat and escaping until she was gasping for breath.

When she finally pulled away, she saw that he was smiling his quirky, lopsided half smile that she remembered being uniquely his.

“I feel like such an idiot,” She finally admitted, still smiling so widely her face hurt. Despite that, she was unable to tame it into something less exuberant, knowing she probably looked like an idiot and knowing equally well that she didn't really care.

“Not your fault. I was hoping you would recognize me. That day, I mean, shit. I was trying to figure out how to tell you and then- I didn't really think about what you were saying.”

“I'm sorry,” She said again, settling next to him but not turning away, still amazed at his very presence. “It never really occurred to me that I would see anyone from back then, I guess that's why I didn't.”

He nodded, looking irritated, although she wasn't sure if it was with her or himself.

“I realized it later, but by then you were in the wind. I tried to find you, but Tokyo has so many people. Kagome's an unusual name, but not that unusual,” He added.

There was a moment of silence as they both contemplated one another, unsure of what to say next. She had a thousand questions, but all of them seemed rude, in a way. She was seeing him for the first time in three years, for her at least, but he was seeing her for the first time in centuries. Something felt incredibly inconsiderate in asking about others. It wasn't all bad either, just looking at him, knowing he was real and there, that he'd barely changed at all, even after hundreds of years. Maturity had angled his features a little more sharply, but he was still Kouga. Likewise, he seemed content to stare at her, as if he wasn't quite sure how to react. Not that she could blame him, meeting him again was a one in a million chance, seeing him three times felt like fate trying to make up for getting locked out of the past.

“So why did you come here?” He finally asked, head tilting towards the track.

“My friend's uncle owns the Kangetsuen, we're here for summer vacation. I found out this was here and had to come see it. I was hoping,” She paused, feeling silly saying it aloud. “I was hoping to talk to some of the riders about bikes, riding, that sort of thing.”

“Well,” He said, smirk firmly back in place. “You have the incredible luck to be at the track, with not only a rider, but one of the best mechanics in Asia. Possibly Europe too, although I don't like to brag.”

And he was the same Kouga she remembered. Oh, he had changed physically, but the pride in his voice left no room for mistake. Some things never changed. His ego seemed to be one of them.

“Well, since it's your fault I'm interested anyway, you could at least be nice enough to show me around.”

“I can do you one better. I'll show you around and give you a ride back to the hotel,” He offered. “Now that you know I'm not a stranger, you can ride with me, right?”

The image of him taking the course flashed through her mind and her heart stumbled and skipped several beats.

“I'm a safe rider when I've got someone behind me,” He added, as if guessing her thoughts.

She nodded, taking a long, deep breathe and exhaling slowly. She had the grace to blush when he looked mildly offended. Instead of saying anything though, he shrugged his shoulders and uttered a small keh before standing and offering her a hand up.

Even though the changes back to a more human appearance were subtle, she was aware of all of them, she was watching him so intently. Dark eyes, rounded pupils, curved ears. But when she noticed they were heading for the parking lot, she looked from the cab to him, confused.

“You don't want him to wait for you when he could be driving other fares do you?” He asked. She shook her head, surprised by his forethought. When they got to the cab the driver opened his window, eyes narrowed on Kouga.

“Yuuma is a friend of mine from middle school,” She said, not entirely lying. “He's going to give me a ride back to the hotel. Thank you for waiting,” She added.

The driver's eyes did not warm, but he nodded once and his window buzzed as he hit the button for it to come up. Unable to understand his quiet hostility, she stepped back and watched him pull away before turning back to her friend, her smile still in place.

“So, bikes huh?” Kouga asked, brow raised.

“I could ask you the same thing,” She retorted, trying to adjust to this new Kouga. He seemed more laid back, more ready to smile than she remembered, although she supposed it was because of the change of the times.

“Can't run around Japan like I used to,” He chuckled, walking back to the entrance with her. “Bikes caught my attention when they first showed up. Humans aren't all bad, but most of their inventions don't really phase me. Bikes though,” Here he shrugged, his lopsided grin back in place. He seemed almost shy about it with her, which was strange, because the Kouga she remembered had never been shy about anything.

“Do you race?” She asked, noticing that they were heading in a different direction after they walked past the ticketing booths.

“Professionally, no. I'm not patient enough for it. Besides, most professional racers are just jockeys, they don't get to build their bikes,” He explained, opening a metal door and standing to the side so she could walk ahead of him down the stairs. When the door closed behind him, his voice echoed off of the concrete walls. “I build bikes for a few racers. It's what we're doing today. There's a race coming up here and we wanted to see how the bike would handle the track.”

The stairwell ended in another door, which opened to a huge, space that reminded her of a parking garage. She saw two men kneeling next to a bike, examining it and muttering to themselves. However, within seconds both had looked up and one was standing and striding over to them, a grin lighting up his features. Now that she knew what to look for, she easily recognized Hakkaku, although he no longer sported a mohawk.

“Little sister,” He greeted, pulling her into a hug and laughing as he spun her around. “I knew it was you.”

“He's the one that spotted you on the bleachers,” Kouga grudgingly admitted, although his grin didn't fade.

“He's just mad he didn't see you first today,” Hakkaku chuckled as he put her back down on the ground.

“But he was on the track,” Kagome pointed out, blushing

“Hey, you're the one that waited to tell me until she was leaving, not to mention you kept saying you weren't sure,” The taller youkai groused.

“Well, last time I thought I saw her and she was gone you almost-”

A warning sound, not entirely unlike a growl, rumbled in Kouga's chest and Hakkaku stopped, eyes widening.

“Anyway, Ginta should be done with the other bike soon. Everything checks out with the GX,” He said, jerking his head at the bike and the other man, who had hung back and allowed them their space, if not privacy. Their words echoed around the paddock, making it impossible to keep them from reaching him, but he didn't seem disturbed in the least by her arrival.

“Kagome, this is Hayate, he's the track owner and he owns the team we've been working on the bikes for,” Kouga explained.

“It's nice to meet you,” She greeted, shaking hands with the other man, who was wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit covered in oil and grease stains. His short hair was all over the paper, peppered with gray, and his smile revealed laugh lines, softening his angular face.

“Good to meet you too,” He replied warmly. “Hakkaku told me he thought he recognized you. You're welcome down here any time,” He added, nodding at Kouga. “Any friend of theirs is a friend of mine.”

Blushing and feeling distinctly out of her element, she nodded again, unsure of what to say in such a situation, and watched as he walked over to the bike.

“We build most of the bikes for Hayate's team, although we aren't normally in the pit lane for races. We will be for the race next week though, special favor since so much of both are one offs, and there's not enough time for the crew to get used to it.”

“What's a one off?”

“It's specially created parts, we do a lot of that in our shop back in Tokyo." Kouga paused for a moment then gave her a hesitant smile. "If you're still going to be in town, you're welcome to come watch. You can even bring your friends.”

“Even the rude one?” She replied, voice catty. He looked distinctly put out at her question, but nodded anyway. Anything else he was going to say was lost as Ginta walked in, helmet still on and walking the bike before kicking down the stand.

“The binders need some work, but otherwise it's good,” He said as he took off his helmet. When he spotted her, he repeated Hakkaku's actions, coming forward to embrace her and spin her around before setting her back down on the ground.

“Long time little sister,” He said, a cheeky grin earning a giggle in response.

“Ginta,” She said, not entirely without fondness. He had changed too, although not as drastically as the other two had. His hair was still white with the patch of black, shaggy and mussed from pulling the helmet off. His pupils were round though, and his fangs blunted, his ears also softened into human curves instead of demonic points.

She wondered if she would have recognized them, seeing all three of them together that day instead of hiding beneath the helmets. Now that she knew who they were, she wondered how she hadn't seen it.

“Well, you've put in a good day here, I'll let you catch up with your friend. See you tomorrow in the AM. If you need to borrow some gear for her, you can hit the stash,” Hayate told them, giving an absentminded wave as he walked away. She watched him go, wondering if her presence had put a strain on their schedule.

“He's got paperwork to go over,” Kouga explained. “Hates it about as much as I do, but that's the way it goes,” He added with a shrug.

There was a silence, a slightly awkward one, now that they were all alone.

“Screw this, I'm hungry. Want to go grab a burger?” Ginta finally asked, breaking through the tension.

“I could eat,” She said, not wanting to admit that, in the process of pretending to be sick, she had avoided eating to cement her ruse. While she hadn't even considered being hungry before, the mention of food brought the sensation of an empty stomach to the forefront.

“Let's go grab you some gear,” Kouga chuckled, walking away. For a moment she wasn't sure if she was supposed to follow, but when Ginta and Hakkaku waved at her to follow their friend, she turned and followed, not entirely sure what he meant by 'gear' but excited, nervously, anxiously so, nonetheless.

He took her through a door at the far end of the garage and down a hallway to a locked room, for which he had a key, strangely.

“Hayate must trust you,” She murmured quietly.

“Hayate's a good guy,” He replied. “It's fun working with him, and we've been friends a long time.”

“Is he-” She stopped, unsure if she was even allowed to ask such a question.

“No, but his mate is, so he's more than aware of what we are,” He chuckled as they stepped into the room and he turned on a light. Several boxes lined the walls, along with a single, tall locker. “One of Hayate's riders, his niece, she's about your size, maybe a bit taller, but her helmet should be a good fit, and one of her jackets will be fine.”

“She won't mind?”

Kouga snorted, rolling his eyes as he went through the smaller boxes, opening one after the other. “She's a little prima donna. Hayate is a blast to work with, it's Doumen that's a pain in the ass. Here, try this on.”

She accepted the pale blue helmet, pushing it down on top of her head, immediately struck by the warmth of her breath reflecting back at her and the muffling of sounds. Kouga moved her head a bit, tugged against it lightly before nodding his head in satisfaction. She pulled it off, inhaling deeply as cool air flooded back into her nose.

“Perfect, and she won't miss it, she hates blue, refuses to wear it,” He added with another eye roll. Next he went through longer boxes, immediately discarding full racing suits before finding a box filled with jackets. He shuffled through them, pulling out a black jacket accented in the same light blue as the helmet. She tried it on when he held it out, surprised by it's weight and the feel of padding and reinforcements in the back and shoulders.

It zipped up, fitting her loosely.

“Perfect.”

“It feels too big,” She said, looking down at it.

“It's supposed to be a little baggy when you're standing, they're supposed to fit while riding,” He laughed as he put the boxes back in order. “And she'll never notice the set missing, so I'll ask Hayate if he cares if you keep it.”

“I couldn't-”

“Trust me, I doubt he'll mind. The only reason he hasn't booted her is because she's a top notch racer and because his wife's sister would never let him hear the end of it,” He assured her, voice turning to a grumble when the wife's sister was mentioned. She wondered if he and the other youkai, she assumed youkai anyway, had crossed one another before.

“So, I mean, how is everyone else?” She asked as he locked the room behind them. He paused, brow furrowing for a moment before tucking the keys back into his pocket.

“Honestly, I don't know. It's been centuries. People drift apart, and times have changed a lot.”

He was hedging around something, and it was something she was sure she wouldn't like, but probably needed to hear.

“Kouga, it's alright. I never expected to see anyone again.”

He sighed, focus turning inward before words starting falling from his lips automatically, as if he was an automaton giving someone else's memories while he sorted through them.

“Inu Yasha ended up mating another hanyou and dying in battle about two centuries later,” He finally said, given her what she hoped was the worst news first. “They had a couple of pups, his mate took off to China not long after. I lost contact with her after that, too much was changing, and there wasn't any way to stay in touch like there is now. The kit, Shippou, he went with her.”

“Oh,” She murmured. She tried looking at the bright side, that Inu Yasha had loved someone enough to start a family with them, although the idea of him dying and leaving them behind hurt.

“Sesshoumaru is still in Japan, a bigwig at some corporation and still holding onto bachelorhood. I don't know what became of anyone else, really.”

“What about Ayame?” She asked, distinctly remembering the red haired ookami and her claim on Kouga.

“When the times changed, I changed with them. Her clan viewed humans as a problem. When her tribe wanted to try and even the playing field a bit, I said no. I put a ban on humans, but they ignored it. In the end I left the pack and broke my mating bond with her. Ginta and Hakkaku followed, and some of the others from my pack. Most of them remembered you and what you did for us. Some of them knew attacking humans would only bring retribution.”

He didn't seem hurt as he said it, but then again, he didn't seem to be feeling much of anything as he made the quiet declaration.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up painful memories,” She mumbled, hugging the helmet to her chest and staring down at it's shiny surface. The news of Inu Yasha's death was hitting harder than she thought it would. Though she had accepted that she might never see him again, the idea of him dying in such a way hurt, and she felt bad for having left him behind to that fate. Adding to that Kouga's own bad luck, because of her, no matter how indirectly, and she was wondering why she had asked at all.

“It was only a few years after you left,” He admitted. “So it was a long time ago. She left Japan with the rest of the clan centuries ago for some place that wasn't so crowded.”

In a way she felt responsible for his loss. It was only too easy to remember how responsible he had felt for his pack, even giving up on finding and battling Naraku so he could take care of them. And because of her, he had lost a majority of that pack, and his mate.

“Look, if you want, I mean, if you need some time alone before going back to the guys, we've got to change anyway,” He offered, looking as awkward as she felt. She nodded mutely, her throat too tight to speak when he opened the door and slipped through it. It closed behind him with a heavy thud, and needing something cool, she leaned forward until her forehead rested on the smooth metal surface.

A world she had been a part of, that had shaped and changed her despite the brevity of her adventure. For him it had been centuries, for her, only a few short years. Hearing him speak of the past like that was mind numbing. It was as if her friend's lives had been condensed into three short years she had missed. Three years where every day was a decade, until they had aged and died and faded into wisps of memories.

She hadn't realized how much time had passed as she sifted through those memories and tried to correlate them with the simple, blunt truths Kouga had given. But the door was pushing open and she was reeling back, eyes wide and heart tightening painfully, arms flailing as she tried to regain her balance.

Both of his hands reached out and grabbed her forearms, steadying her. The helmet hit the floor, the noise of it hitting and bouncing once echoing in the hall.

“Are you alright?” He asked, although he didn't seem to expect an answer.

“It's a lot to take in,” She admitted, unable to look up at him. Guilt gnawed at her. Had she brought him to where he was now? Was he really happy? Or was he merely getting by, surviving beyond his pack and his broken mating?

“I'm sorry, I should have waited-”

“No, no,” She stuttered, pulling her arms from of his grip before bending down and picking up the helmet. “Better now,” She added quietly as she straightened, noticing for the first time that he was wearing the jacket she had seen him in that first day.

“Come on, maybe a ride will help clear your head,” He said, not moving to touch her again.

She selfishly wanted something to lean again, but resisted the temptation, instead following him back out to the paddock. Ginta and Hakkaku had already cleared out, and there was no sign of the motorcycles they had been working on. Through another door and a maze of halls, up stairs and back into the light. He turned away from the entrance she had come through and led her down a different path, only stopping to unlock a gate and let her through before locking it again and leading her to a much smaller parking lot.

Ginta and Hakkaku were already waiting, although she couldn't tell who was riding the red bike and who was riding the green, as their helmets were on, tinted shields down.

“Always get on and dismount on this side,” Kouga told her, voice quiet. “And just hold on to me, this wasn't really made for passengers, but you're small enough that we'll be fine,” He finished with quiet confidence.

She stared at the bike.

There was no way she could get on it without some sort of step stool.

A minute later he seemed to understand her dilemma, and without asking or saying a word, grabbed her around her waist, his large hands almost completely spanning the distance, and sat her down on the seat. Quickly throwing her leg over the side so that she was straddling the bike, she shoved her helmet on ignoring that her unbound hair was sticking out of the bottom.

When he mounted the bike effortlessly, the whole thing shifted beneath her, stabbing her with anxiety. Her arms went down to the bike, searching for something to grab onto and finding nothing. When he kicked back the stand and the bike bounced again, she leaned forward and grasped the leather jacket, terrified she'd fall off.

“You alright?” He asked, the sounds muffled as they filtered in through the helmet. She nodded instead of trying to say anything, and he pushed his blue helmet down over his pony tail and face until it was in place.

“Hold on to me, or else you're going to fall off,” He shouted, loud enough for her to understand despite the helmets muffling his voice. He leaned forward until it almost felt like he was laying on the bike, and she followed his example and wrapping her arms around his waist. The jacket tightened until it was snug, and she understood hat he had meant about the fit. If it had fit properly while she wasn't riding, she wouldn't have been able to hold onto him.

An uncomfortable thought.

“You ready?” It was vague and muffled, vibrating through her.

She nodded, turning her head so that she could see the others as they revved and popped before pulling out of the parking lot. Kouga started his bike and she felt it rumble to life, the whole thing vibrating so strongly that she felt like her bones were buzzing. Her grip unconsciously tightened and she almost yelped when the bike moved forward, the sensation itself unexpected.

It wasn't what she expected, not at first. Certainly nothing like what she had seen him do on the track. It was a smooth ride as they got onto the road, and she loosened her grip for a moment, until she heard him shout something. It was indistinct and lost to her before she felt the bike begin speeding up. A turn came and she tightened her grip, terrified he was going to take the turn leaning close to the ground, but he barely tilted, and she moved with him. However, he didn't slow, only sped up until he was behind Ginta and Hakkaku, and with a smooth lean he was going around them and leading them.

The world blurred by and the wind sheared against her sides as he sped up. At first she forced herself to keep her eyes open to try and take it all in, but when the world sped by in blurs of green, blue, brown, white and even gray and black until she couldn't even guess what she was seeing, she closed them and inhaled deeply.

The world seemed more alive with her eyes closed. Despite the muffled sounds, she could feel how the road beneath them dipped and swelled lightly, the vibrations of the bike, the air as they cut through it, and the solid weight of him guiding her to lean or straighten. It was nothing like she'd ever felt, and smoother than than holding onto someone while they jumped and ran, feet pounding the ground into submission. Instead it felt like she was gliding over it, almost flying, her feet firmly off the ground. It was easy to lose herself to the feeling, the roar of the engine drowning out her heartbeat until she imagined, for a brief moment, that it was her heart, thrumming and pounding for her.

When she finally opened her eyes again, it was when Kouga began to slow, and she looked around, surprised to see that they were back in the same part of the city her hotel was located. The drive to the track had taken almost an hour, but it had felt like minutes on the bike.

He turned into a small restaurant that didn't look like much at all and parked, nudging the stand down with his foot and bracing himself but putting both feet flat on the ground before pulling off his helmet. She followed suit, chagrined to notice that her hair was a tangled mess, knotted and gnarled beyond recognition.

“You alright?” He asked, dismounting fluidly.

“Yeah. That was, I enjoyed it,” She admitted with a smile as she tried to comb her hair with her fingers and failed miserably.

“I forgot about that, here,” He said, hand slipping into his back pocket and coming back out with a scrunchie. “I don't have a brush or anything-”

“It's fine, thanks,” She mumbled, twisting her hair into a messy bun, hopefully hiding the snarls by making them look intentional as she wrapped the band around it. “I'll know better next time.”

“You liked it that much?” He asked, a smile tilting up the corner of his lips. She nodded, getting ready to throw her leg over when he stopped her, a firm, gloved hand clapping onto her shoulder.

“Don't get off on that side, you might get burned,” He told her, pointing down to the area her leg would have rubbed against the exhaust pipes. “Here.”

And he was lifting her effortlessly again, helping her off of the bike and clearing the area he had told her to avoid completely. When she was on her feet she felt like her legs had turned to jelly and braced herself on the bike for a moment, trying to gain her footing.

“That happens,” He laughed, watching her with no little amusement as she waited for feeling to come back to her legs. The two other bikes pulled up next to them, and she used figuring out who was who as a distraction to keep from thinking about how her knees wouldn't stop vibrating.

Ginta was wearing the green helmet, Hakkaku the red, and they dismounted as smoothly as Kouga had, no signs of the tremors in their legs at all.

She was almost mad at them for it.

“Stop that, or I won't let you on the bike again,” Kouga laughed, tucking the helmet under his arm and offering his arm. Ignoring her own chagrin she laced hers around it and allowed hi to help her walk to the door and into the shabby little restaurant. Ginta and Hakkaku sat next to each other in a booth and she slid in, putting her helmet between herself and the wall. She took Kouga's and sat it on top.

“How did you like the ride?” Ginta asked.

“It was really fun,” She admitted. “It wasn't like I thought it would be, but better.”

A waitress came over and took their drink orders, but there were no menus.

“This place only makes one thing,” Hakkaku informed her, smiling widely. “It's the best burger joint in all of Hokkaido.”

“So why did you come to the track today?” Kouga asked as the waitress came back with their drinks.

“I was going to ask the riders about their bikes, maybe see if someone was willing to give me lessons for a couple of hours a day or something.”

Said like that, she realized how childish it sounded.

“How much longer will you be here?” Kouga asked, brow furrowing in thought.

“Three weeks, give or take.”

“I can't teach you to be perfect in three weeks, but I can show you the basics,” He offered.

“But aren't you busy?”

“We don't have any orders waiting,” Ginta piped up before Kouga could say anything.

“We'd be completely free after the race next week,” Hakkaku added.

“We haven't had a vacation since-”

“We went to America a couple of years ago for that race.”

It reminded her so much of the past and how they had once been, goofy and almost disconcerting in their ability to follow one another, that she burst in laughter, a true smile finally gracing her features for the first time since she had been told about what had happened to her friends.

“You don't have to convince me,” Kouga grumbled, rolling his eyes as her laughter quieted. “A few weeks would be good for us. Besides, if she's going to learn from anyone, it's either us or Hayate,” He added. “Not going to have some jackass teaching her something that's going to kill her.”

“'Her' is sitting right next to you,” She retorted.

“Fine, I don't want you taking lessons from some moron that thinks he's all that because he's got a little premade crotch rocket he managed to uncork and armor with some companies name all over it. Besides, are you going back to Tokyo after you're finished here?”

She nodded, wondering why he was asking.

“We live in Tokyo too, so lessons don't have to stop just because you leave Hokkaido.”

She wasn't sure how to explain that she had planned for it to stay on Hokkaido, mostly because her mother probably would have a heart attack to learn that her daughter was interested in motorcycles.

“Whoo, vacation,” Ginta sighed happily, raising his plastic glass.

“On the beach,” Hakkaku added.

“With motorcycles,” Kouga added with a wolfish grin as he raised his own glass.

“And with good friends,” She finished, raising her own and clinking it against the other glasses.


	3. Chapter 3

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 3  
Dsiclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha, the track, or the hotels. I'm not making any money from this. And to the places that exist, maybe I'm doing free advertising of a sort. So don't sue me. Also, the summary (since someone asked) is taken from a quote by Hunter S Thompson. I don't own that either.

Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.-HST 

~*~ 

The ride to the hotel was short and not nearly as fast. She was able to keep her eyes open and watch the world go by at a more sedate pace, and giggled when more than a few people stared at them driving past. When he stopped at the hotel, she felt the engine rumble to a stop before sliding off on the correct side, stumbling but managing to catch herself.

Pulling the helmet off, she wondered if there was any way to band her hair and keep it from emerging a mess every time. Kouga seemed to have gotten it, for the most part. When he removed his helmet, his pony tail only seemed a little mussed.

“I've got to work on the bike for Hayate tomorrow, but it should be done pretty quickly,” He told her, hands resting on top of his helmet. 

“Do you want my number?” She asked, pulling her phone out. He unzipped his jacket and reached in, pulling a phone out and flipping it open. She quickly gave him her number and he gave her his. They were just putting their phones away when she heard a familiar voice.

“Kagome? What are you doing out of bed?” Eri asked, eyes widening when she saw Kouga. 

Crap.

“You-” Yuka began, obviously recognizing him.

Shit.

“Hey, it's the rude one,” He smirked, taking the time to wave.

“You-”

“Kouga,” Kagome groaned, knowing he was intentionally trying to bait her friend. She had hoped that was one behavior he had gotten over, but apparently not. 

“Fine,” He sighed, shifting on his bike and rocking it lightly. 

“Kagome?” Ayumi asked, eyes traveling back and forth between her, Kouga and Yuka.

“Guys, this is Yuuma,” Kagome began.

“You just called him Kouga,” Eri pointed out, mouth in a firm, angry line.

“It's a nickname. I went for a walk to see if some air would help, and he recognized me.”

“From...Where?” Eri asked, giving Kouga a once over only to frown even more. Obviously she was not impressed.

“He was a friend of Inu Yasha's,” She said, wanting to hit herself with her helmet when he let out a choked sound behind her. “And he wanted to catch up.”

Her friends were quiet, probably remembering her turbulent relationship with the hanyou and the few times they had met him.

“He's not like Inu Yasha is he?” Eri finally asked. 

“I'm right here,” He muttered.

“Kouga's a really nice guy, and so are his friends. I was hoping you guys wouldn't mind if we all hung out tomorrow, to get to know each other?”

“We were going to go back to the beach tomorrow,” Ayumi pointed out, smiling shyly at Kouga.

“Sounds good to me. Swimming will be good after working all morning,” He added, not even acknowledging Yuka's further sputtering. 

“Working?” Ayumi asked. Obviously she was taking his presence far better than the others.

“Kouga is a motorcycle mechanic, and is helping out the local track owner for a race. He even invited all of us to it,” She added, casting a meaningful glance in Yuka's direction. Her friend immediately ceased making faces, blinking several times as the news sunk in.

“Like, VIP?” She finally asked.

Kagome thanked every god she could name and a few she couldn't that her friend loved those three letters as much as she loved shopping.

“Sure. Good seats and when it's over you guys can come down to the pit and meet the jockeys,” He said, obviously catching on and deciding to make it easier. Kagome couldn't help but be thankful for the small kindness.

“That could be fun,” Eri said, catching her friend's eagerness. “It would be really cool to meet people who race.”

“I guess that's a yes then,” Kagome said, sighing in relief. “Give me a call tomorrow?”

“Sounds good. The boys'll be thrilled” He added, winking at her before putting his helmet back on and starting the bike. It roared to life and drowned out her farewell, but he turned enough to see her wave and waved in return before turning out of the parking lots and speeding up. 

“He seems nice,” Ayumi observed. 

“He is,” Kagome observed, smiling lightly. Yuka and Eri were still chattering about the excitement of being VIPs at a race. Kagome felt they were blowing the whole thing out of proportion, but if it meant smooth sailing when the three youkai showed up the next day, she had no problems with it. 

“Your hair is a mess,” Eri said as they walked inside and to the elevator. “It looks like rats have been nesting in it.”

“It's the helmet,” Kagome pointed out. “I didn't wear my hair back at first so it got tangled up and I didn't have a brush.”

“Yuuma should have had one,” Yuka pointed out. “He's got long hair.”

“It seems Kagome knows a lot of guys with long hair,” Eri pointed out slyly.

“Some guys just like long hair,” Kagome pointed out, feeling defensive. “And he didn't have one, so I just put it up and dealt with it.”

Eri and Yuka continued making insinuations, not that she minded. She was already thinking about what Kouga had mentioned at the diner. Though they hadn't talked about it after that, the promise of learning how to drive a motorcycle was enough to make her heart skip happily. And he was an amazing driver. Maybe one day she'd be able to ride like him. Though she hadn't entertained the idea of going too fast before, she wasn't entirely sure if, having seen him do it, that she was opposed. 

When they got back to their suite, she walked to her room and dropped the helmet on the bed and then took the jacket off almost reluctantly. In a way it felt like she as the same as the three youkai, who wore their own black jackets with accenting colors. It had felt nice to belong again.

Though she loved her friends dearly and did fit in with them, there was always the past that would separate her. The others only referred to it in passing, and when referring to it only said 'that time you were sick for months'. With the three youkai, it would be 'when we fought against Naraku'. It would be the truth, and she supposed that in part, that was what made it so easy to fall into that sense of belonging with them.

Her legs were sore from straddling a motorcycle, and she quickly stripped and wrapped a towel around her chest. The others were gone when she stepped out of her room, and she wondered if they were going to get food in the hotel restaurant. Still full from her lunch -and Ginta had been right, the small dive had made the best burger she'd ever had, not to mention the biggest- grabbed on of the surplus robes and tied it snugly before heading down to the elevators.

In less than five minutes she was showering, and in another ten she was sinking into the women only side of the small hot spring the hotel had been built around. In thirty she was relaxed enough to fall asleep, and when she finally went back to her room, she fell onto her bed and cocooned herself in the blankets.

~*~ 

“Are the others cute?” Eri asked, pumping her for information. When they had woken that morning, her friends had begun chattering nonstop about the three men, and Eri had jumped into the possibility of a summer romance almost immediately. 

“I don't know,” Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time. They were on their way to the beach in Yuka's car, and the only saving grace of the half hour drive was that Kouga had texted her sometime early in the morning, reminding her not to forget her helmet or jacket and to bring a pair of jeans. Knowing that it could only mean one thing -getting back on the motorcycle- she had only been too happy to oblige. When her friends had seen her put them in the trunk, they had assumed the same thing. And a little bit more. Well, a lot more, actually.

Some of which still made her cheeks flame with embarrassment.

“How can you not know?” Eri asked, turning around in the front seat to look at her. “You've seen them, right?”

“Yeah, but it's not like I was judging how cute they were,” She retorted.

“Is Yuuma cute?” Eri shot back

“I guess,” She started, stopping when she saw her friend's triumphant grin.

“See, I knew it, you do like him!” Eri crowed, waving a finger around and grinning madly. “You just don't want to admit it.”

“I don't like him like that,” She shot out, frowning petulantly. “We're friends.”

“But you think he's cute.”

She gave up, letting her head fall back into the seat and staring at the roof of the car, wondering why her friends seemed so determined to set her up with someone, anyone, all of the time. 

“Fine,” Eri said. “What do the other two look like?”

She gave intentionally vague descriptions just to get back at Eri for her constant needling, feeling childish even as she did it. The half hour easily felt like an hour, and when they got out of the car, she took a moment to text Kouga and let him know they had arrived. Within seconds he had called to tell her that they were finishing up at the track and that they'd be there soon. 

Kagome grabbed her bag and towel and followed her friends to the concrete building to change. While her own bikini was modest, she was momentarily mortified to realize that it was the same blue as Kouga's helmet. Luckily none of her friends noticed, or if they did, they said nothing. Ayumi's pink bikini was also modest, but when she saw Eri's she blushed for her friend, and when Yuka finished putting hers on, she was positive her jaw was going to come unhinged.

“Like it?” Yuka asked. “I wanted to be daring.”

Daring wasn't quite the word Kagome would have used, although she kept that to herself. 

“It makes tanning easier too,” Yuka added with a smirk. 

And tan lines minimal, she added silently to her friend's declaration.

They walked out, bags and towels in tow, and looked for a spot on the sand that was 'perfect' in Eri's words. When they finally found it -Kagome couldn't help but notice how close it was to a cluster of attractive men- they unrolled their towels and she and Ayumi began applying sunscreen while Eri and Yuka applied tanning oil.

Within seconds they had men asking if they wanted help. It was so stereotypical that Kagome had to fight not to laugh, merely waving them off and saying she was fine as she pulled a book from her bag. Ayumi was blushing and shaking her head no instead of saying anything, and Eri and Yuka basked in the attention.

“You didn't bring a spare, did you?” Ayumi asked quietly. 

“As a matter of fact, I did,” Kagome chuckled, pulling another book out of her bag. It was a mystery, and she offered Ayumi her own as well. “I haven't started yet, so you can choose. One's a mystery and the other is a supernatural thriller.”

“I'll go with the mystery,” Ayumi laughed, accepting the small paperback and opened it to the first page. Eri and Yuka chattered on the other side of them, and she opened her book back to the first page and began reading, tuning the flirting and boasting out. It was easy to get lost in the story, especially considering her past. The idea of ghosts and monsters was easy to accept, having seen more than her fair share, and the story was well written, pulling her into it.

In fact, she was so wrapped up in the book that she didn't notice when a shadow fell over her. Or a the sound of a throat clearing. 

It wasn't until a tanned hand and arm reached down and pulled the book from her hands that she noticed, and her first reaction was not 'hello' but an angry yelp.

“You came to the beach to read?” Kouga asked, brow raised, book dangling from his hand. He was squatting, knees bent, so that he was almost hovering over her.

“Give it back,” She demanded, getting up and reaching for it.

“I don't think so,” He mocked, tossing the book onto her bag and grabbing her. 

Later, she would reflect with no little embarrassment that the noises she had made had not been feminine in the least. If anything, she had sounded like a squawking bird as he threw her over his shoulder and began walking for the water. As they got closer, she noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and that even though his black swimming trunks were long, they hung low on his hips.

“Kouga, put me down,” She demanded, blushing as she tried not to notice the lines of his muscles moving in his back as he walked into the water.

“You sure?” He asked, sounded as if she'd smacked him. But her stomach was beginning to hurt from his shoulder pressing into it.

“Yes, I'm sure,” She muttered, using her hands to push against his back.

“Fair enough.”

Another angry screech erupted from her throat when she felt herself rising into the air, limbs flailing.

It stopped when she hit the water. 

She came up sputtering and pushing her hair out of her face, easily ten feet away from him and having to tip toe to reach the bottom. 

“You looked bored,” He joked.

She was going to say something, but was stopped when she heard a scream that was half laughter. Turning to the shore she saw Ginta and Hakkaku carrying Ayumi between them as they dashed into the water. As they waded deeper they began swinging her and shouting out a countdown before letting her go and watching her rise in the air and then fall into the ocean.

“See?” Kouga tried when she tried to smother a giggle as her friend came up laughing. They began wading over to the others, and for the first time she saw Kouga, soaked from the neck down, shirtless and standing in the light perfectly.

“F-Fine,” She mumbled, turning away only to be hit with a splash by Ayumi.

It started a war that somehow formed teams, and ignoring how immature she felt, she splashed her friend and moved closer to Kouga, trying to use him as a shield. When it didn't work she gave in and just turned her head away and closed her eyes, pushing at water blindly. 

When something wrapped around her ankle she let out a high pitched scream before it was pulled from under her and she was underwater. She shot back up to the surface only to see a drenched Kouga grinning at her. Ayumi came up seconds later sputtering, and all of the youkai burst out laughing at their indignant expressions.

“Boys never grow up,” Kagome muttered, pushing her hair out of her face again.

“Nope,” Kouga laughed. 

“Hey guys!” A voice called out. They turned back to the shore and saw Eri waving and jumping up and down.

“Think it's important?” Kouga asked. Splashing him once before walking over to her friend, she noticed they all followed behind her.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, but they're making a volleyball team, but we're short a few players. Please come play,” Eri wheedled.

“Sounds fun,” Kagome said, looking to the others, who were nodding.

Ten minutes later, when she found herself on Kouga's shoulders, she was wondering why she had said yes. There was something far too strange about his large hands on the tops of her thighs holding her in place.

“Are you okay?” He asked, tilting his head back as much as he could to look up at her. 

“This is a little strange,” She admitted.

“Need me to let you down?”

Not wanting to admit to how strange it was, she shook her head and straightened back up. She had the small comfort that at least out of most of the people there, she was guaranteed not to fall off or topple over. The same went for Ayumi and Eri, both of whom were perched on Ginta and Hakkaku. Yuka balanced on a muscular, tanned male that was wearing sunglasses and had bleached, spiked hair and cutoff shorts instead of swim trunks.

The volleyball came hurtling over the net and at her. Trusting him to hold onto her, she lifted both hands and hit it back, not even feeling the least bit off balance as she did so. It was like sitting on a rock, he was so steady.

After that it wasn't difficult to get into the game, especially because her team was winning. With the solid youkai holding them up, they were able to bend and reach without fear, and once Eri and Ayumi realized it, they took full advantage of it. Even the man Yuka was holding onto seemed solid enough for her to move almost as much.

The other team was full of toppling people, not that they seemed to mind. Halfway through the game Kagome realized that she was having fun, that she was cheering her friends and being cheered for, and that she was laughing with everyone else, including Kouga. 

When the first game was over, Hakkaku let Eri down, saying he was going to grab some drinks for them, and another male quickly stepped in to take his place. Though this one wasn't nearly as steady, a new game started and they found themselves more evenly matched. By the time Hakkaku came back, a cardboard box of sodas in hand, she was breathless with laughter from watching Eri and her partner topple and get tangled in the sand.

After it finished, with her team winning again, Kouga bent down and let her off, laughing as Eri managed to topple her partner yet again. They walked over to where Hakkaku was sitting, enjoying a soda and smirking at all of them.

“Nice game,” He commented, staring pointedly at Kouga, who rolled his eyes. Kagome caught the soda he tossed to her and tapped the top. Yuka and Eri walked over with their partners, chattering excitedly.

“Hey guys, we were talking about going up to a spring Heiken knows about. Did you want to come?”

“Yes,” Kagome said, answering for everyone immediately. Even though the other men seemed safe, she didn't want to let her friends go with them alone. 

“Sounds like a plan,” Kouga said, brows furrowed, as if guessing her thoughts. “Did you bring your helmet and jacket?” 

She nodded and everyone split into groups, she and her friends going and grabbing their bags and towels and heading for the car. Dry from her time in the sun, she was able to shrug on her pants over her bathing suit and zipped the jacket on over her top. Heiken and his friend, introduced as Ken, both arrived first. They were riding with Yuka and Eri, since they hadn't come in their own car, which left Ayumi with no place to sit, not unless she wanted to be a third wheel in what was obviously flirting.

When Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku arrived, she explained the issue. Kouga's brow furrowed and he glanced over to Hakkaku and Ginta, who were speaking too quietly between themselves for her to hear.

“It'll be fine,” Kouga told her.

“She can use my helmet,” Hakkaku told them.

“And she can wear my jacket,” Ginta added.

“But what about you, isn't it important to wear-” Ayumi stuttered, eyes darting between them and then to the bikes.

“We'll be fine,” Hakkaku laughed.

“We're safe drivers.”

Kagome was only okay with it because they were youkai, and because she trusted them to drive safely. She was fairly certain they would survive if something happened, but she was still worried about them.

“They'll be fine,” Kouga promised, laying a hand on her shoulder as she watched her friend stammer out a thank you and put on the red helmet and black and green jacket. 

“How far is it?”

“About fifteen minutes inland,” Heiken said from the open window of the car. “We're going to stop at the store really quick though.”

Kagome didn't protest when Kouga 'helped' her onto the bike the way he had before, by picking her up around the waist and setting her down. She grabbed a hair tie from her pocket and put it up, then shoved the helmet down on her head. Kouga was already getting on, putting his helmet on as he did. She automatically wrapped her arms around his waist and turned to look over at Ginta and Hakkaku. Ayumi has holding onto Hakkaku, although her face was hidden from view by the helmet's tinted visor, Kagome could tell her friend was nervous. She had a death grip around Hakkaku's waist.

He didn't seem to mind, smiling wolfishly and giving a thumbs up before starting his bike. Kouga and Ginta followed suit, and she leaned forward with Kouga, clinging more tightly as they followed the car out of the sand covered parking lot.

It was easier to focus since they were following. Kouga wasn't able to drive as fast and she was able to watch the beach recede and sparse scatterings of trees turn into forest. It was definitely longer than fifteen minutes, but she didn't mind in the least. After a day on the beach, it felt right to have a long ride on a bike. More and more she realized that it felt like what she had always hoped a 'typical' summer vacation would be.

They all stopped at a small convenience store that looked like it had seen better days. Ken and Heiken emerged, each carrying a case of beer. Immediately she felt nervous, holding more tightly to Kouga, who had removed his helmet to talk to Hakkaku, although what about she wasn't able to discern.

He stopped however, when he felt her arms tighten around his waist. He turned in the saddle and pushed her shield up so he could look her in the eye.

“I won't let anything bad happen,” He promised.

She nodded, mumbling a small thank you and feeling childish for worrying about it, but grateful none the less that he was there and had understood.

They pulled back out onto the road and after another fifteen or twenty minutes of driving, they turned onto a small, single lane road. Here Kagome learned the downside of riding a bike. Every bump and rock was felt, jolting her lightly as they slowed and followed the car. By the time they parked, she was more than willing to throw herself off of the bike. 

Eri got out, giggling and blushing, and Yuka got out smiling widely. They carried towels while the two new males carried the beer, and Ayumi gave back the jacket and helmet with profuse thanks, smiling widely.

“We'll catch up, we've got to change,” Kouga told her. She nodded and started when Ayumi grabbed her hand. For the first time she noticed the blush on her friend's cheeks and wondered if Ayumi felt something for Hakkaku. But as they followed their friends down the path Ayumi was fairly skipping.

“That was wonderful, Kagome. I can see why you got so interested in motorcycles now. Cars are nothing like that!”

While it hadn't been the exact reason she had gravitated to motor cycles, it was enough for her to nod and agree while her friend gushed about how much she loved riding. By the time they got to the spring the others were already in, Eri in Ken's lap and Yuka next to Ruka with his arm draped over her shoulder. Each had a can of beer and were flirting heavily.

The three youkai got there as they were getting in, Kagome and Ayumi having discarded their pants and adjusting to the heat of the water. It was a fairly large spring, and Ken explained that there were several smaller ones nearby. 

In less than ten minutes he had persuaded Eri to go to one with him, and five minutes later Yuka and Heiken were getting out to go scout out one of their own.

“Well this isn't awkward,” Kagome muttered when the two couples had left.

“You are so lucky,” Kouga muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Why?” Kagome asked, noticing the light blush on his cheeks for the first time.

“I can hear them,” He muttered.

Ginta and Hakkaku nodded, both of them bright red as they looked up at the sky.

“Pretty sky,” Ginta said.

“Looks like it's getting late.”

Kouga sputtered and then burned and even brighter red. Obviously he had heard something that shocked even his sensibilities.

“How about dinner?” Kagome suggested. She was uncomfortable knowing her friends were only yards away. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to actually hear them. 

“I could eat,” Ayumi said, almost too quickly, as she jumped out of the water, face perhaps the brightest red out of everyone there. “Yuka and Eri have phones, we can just text them so they know we left.”

“I think it will be fairly self evident when they find the bikes missing,” Kouga said as he hauled himself out of the water. She followed suit, grabbing her towel and pants, not even bothering to dry off as they followed the guys back to the makeshift parking lot. 

Thankfully Yuka hadn't locked her car, so she and Eri held their towels up for one another while Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku went into the woods to change, all of them looking vaguely ill. 

“I can't believe they did that,” Ayumi muttered, still red-faced and stuttering. “They only met them today.”

“They both wanted to have a wild and crazy vacation. Looks like they're going to get it,” Kagome sighed, hoping that her friends would be okay. There wasn't much she could do for them, and she wasn't willing to subject the three youkai to an evening of live audio porn just to stick around until they had finished either. 

It was strange though, how embarrassed he'd gotten. It seemed out of place for him, and she was musing over it still when he came back. All three males balled up their swimming trunks and used their keys to unlock a small compartment under their seats. She hadn't noticed it before, but apparently it was something like a trunk, although it was tiny.

This time is was Ginta that offered his helmet and Hakkaku his jacket, and though she looked mildly confused,Ayumi was apparently too desperate to get away to ask questions as Ginta helped her onto his bike. Kagome zipped up her jacket and looked to Kouga, who was about to put on his helmet.

“I'm sorry, I didn't think that would happen.”

“Not your fault,” He grunted before shoving the helmet on and turning on the bike. Feeling like it was, she tried to ignore the guilt that ate at her stomach and put her helmet on, grateful when he pulled out onto the even road and navigated it quickly. She breathed another sigh of relief when it was behind her and clung to him more tightly, closing her eyes and allowing herself to pay attention to the feeling of the wind pushing at her.

When he slowed, she felt a bit more normal, a bit more herself, and opened her eyes, curious about where they were. 

They were across the street from her hotel. 

Was he that mad?

She panicked and tapped his arm, but he didn't pay attention as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and parked. By the time she had pulled off her helmet he was just starting to take off his. She waited impatiently, afraid she had made him angry.

“I'm sorry,” She blurted. He turned in the seat and looked at her, brows raised and shock widening his eyes.

“For what?” He asked, shock quickly shifting into confusion.

“I thought you were mad and dropping us off,” She said, the words rushed as she looked to the hotel.

“No, no. There's a really good steakhouse near here, close enough to walk. We figured you guys might want to take a quick shower and change.”

Oh. Well, she felt stupid.

“I'm so-”

“No, not your fault, and if you say sorry again I'll-” He paused, eyes darting back and forth as he tried to think of something. “I won't let you ride for a week.”

She sputtered indignantly, was still sputtering when Hakkaku and Ginta pulled into the parking lot. Ayumi looked worried when she pulled off the helmet, glancing between Kagome and the hotel, the question obvious in her expression.

“What did you do now Kouga?” Ginta asked.

“Bet he said she was his w-” Hakkaku started, stopping when Kouga threw a death glare in his direction. Kagome was supremely grateful he hadn't finished. It would never be the time to explain that story to Ayumi.

“She kept apologizing when it was my fault. I told her if she didn't stop I wouldn't let her ride for a week.”

Both males looked duly impressed. 

“But I-” She began again, only to be interrupted as he slid off the bike. 

“I should have told you at the spring, but I just wanted to get out of there. My fault, not yours,” He corrected, voice almost stern. “So it's fine.”

She allowed him to help her off this time, feeling bad for having brought up the mess at all and even worse for panicking to begin with.

“Why are we here?” Ayumi finally asked, still looking lost.

“There's a restaurant near here,” Kagome explained, before anyone else could. “The guys thought we would want to take a quick shower and change.”

Ayumi nodded, accepting Ginta's help off of the bike and giving him back his helmet. Hakkaku accepted the jacket and threw it over his shoulder, holding onto the heavy garment with two fingers.

“And they can use the other shower while we get ready,” She added. “Hot springs smell awful, especially stale hot spring,” She added when Kouga looked ready to protest. He immediately shut his mouth and nodded, following when she began walking into the hotel entrance. They headed over to the elevators and waited patiently. 

“Little sister is right,” Hakkaku said as they got into the enclosed space and the doors closed.

“It does smell bad,” Ginta added.

“Do they always do that?” Ayumi whispered into Kagome's ear as she stared at the pair.

“Usually,” Kagome chuckled. Both of the males blushed while Kouga only muttered a small 'keh'. 

Glad she had remembered to grab her key card on the way out, she pulled it from her pocket and slid it through the lock, opening the door and allowing everyone else to walk in first.

“Nice digs,” Kouga commented, looking around at the suite.

“Yuka's uncle owns the hotel and let us have the suite for our vacation,” Kagome explained, walking to the shower on one end and opening the door. “Shower, bath, towels, all that is in there,” She said, noticing that Ayumi had already closed the door to the second bathroom behind her.

Ginta and Hakkaku both walked in to the bathroom and shut the door behind them, and she stared at it a minute before turning to Kouga.

“Are they-” She began, pointing to the door. He snorted even though his lips stretched into a smile.

“No. Remember Kagome, we spent the first few centuries of our lives as wolves. Sharing a shower isn't really abnormal to us,” He chuckled. “Thanks by the way. You're right, hot spring water does smell like shit.”

She was going to say something, because her mouth opened. But she really couldn't think of anything to say. Instead she followed him over to the couch and sat at one end while he sat at the other.

“It's strange,” She finally admitted. “I think I forgot to think of you as youkai. Other than you being able to hear, well, you've just seemed so human today.”

He made a sound that was like a laugh, if the laugh had gotten caught in his throat and half strangled there. She looked up at him, wondering if she had offended him, and was going to apologize when she felt something brush her arm. Startled, she jumped back only to stare down at...

A tail?

He had...A tail.

“You-”

Words failed her.

He snickered and his tail moved, brushing against her arm again.

“It's black.”

He nodded.

“I thought you would be brown.”

He had the grace to look offended.

“All of the others were brown,” She defended.

“Do I have brown hair?” He reasoned. 

“No,” She said slowly.

“Then would I have brown fur?”

She grabbed the pillow behind her and threw it at him, feeling mildly better when it made contact with his face. He was still smiling when it dropped to his lap. His tail swished again, and wanting to do something to get him back for startling her and making her feel silly in under a minute, she grabbed it and examined it closely. 

He said nothing, but when she rubbed the fur down, going with it's growth pattern, she could have sworn it twitched. Curious, she rubbed against the fur, only to have him yelp and pull away. The tail vanished from sight.

“I'm sorry,” She muttered, shame faced.

“Please don't do that again,” He muttered, looking pained.

“I didn't realize-”

“My fault.”

“It's not,” She tried.

“It is. I shouldn't have used it to annoy you.”

“But I shouldn't have petted-”

“Petted?” He choked.

“Well, what else could you call it?” She asked.

“That wasn't petting,” He retorted. 

“But I did pet you.”

“No, you didn't.”

“I did too,” She defended.

“This is petting,” He said, hand coming to touch her hair and rub it. “Not this,” He added, rubbing against the direction it was pulled back into, making her flinch.

“I said I was sorry,” She muttered.

They were both quiet for several minutes, both tense and awkward and obviously unsure of what to say.

“This is the part where you say 'but you can pet me now,' and I say that's the worst come on ever,” She finally said, hoping to break through the tension with humor.

“Would you?” He joked, smiling a lopsided grin that expressed his own anxiety. She made a big show of rolling her eyes and shrugging deeply.

“Why not?”

Apparently he had not been joking, but she couldn't really say no when he leaned over and used her lap to pillow his head. While it wasn't as much contact as they'd had during the volleyball game, it felt more intimate, which was why she paused for a moment before beginning to stroke his hair.

“I know what you mean,” He finally said as she continued. “It's been hard to remember you're a miko, or the past really, today. It's just been nice to have you around.”

Despite the strangeness of the evening, she realized that she couldn't disagree. It had been nice being around, had been nice to hang out and do normal things, be normal people. When she had known him in the feudal era, he had been different, perhaps because he had been the leader of a pack, had been seeking revenge and taking responsibility for some many others. But not it felt like he was another normal person, responsible only for himself.

They had a past, and while it flavored their knowledge of one another, it did little to influence their current interactions. She didn't know if it was because they were both so happy to see one another again or because the past was filled with hurts neither of them wanted to think about, but she did know that she had enjoyed the past twenty four hours more than she had thought she would.

“It's been nice being around,” She answered softly. 

Less than a minute later the door opened and Ginta and Hakkaku walked out, spotting the both of them immediately. Grins lit up their features like lights and she tried not to stutter out a denial they wouldn't believe anyway. Kouga was already up and heading for the bathroom, ignoring them completely. The door slammed behind him, leaving her alone.

When they both sat on either side of her, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit abandoned. And hunted.

“Please don't say anything,” She said as Ginta opened his mouth to speak.

“About what?”

“What would we say?”

The door to the bathroom opened and she fled, rushing past Ayumi without saying a word and almost slamming the door behind her.

“Because my night couldn't be awkward enough,” She muttered as she turned on the shower and shed her clothing. She scrubbed at her skin and hair, the heart of the water doing nothing but making her blush even worse as she got clean.

Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her hair, she opted just to put on a robe and cinched it tightly before walking out and straight into her room. 

Her phone began ringing almost immediately.

She picked it up,worried that something bad had happened to her two erstwhile friends. But she was perplexed to see Ayumi's name on the screen. Flipping it open she answered quietly, wondering if perhaps phones had gotten switched in the hurry to get away from the spring.

“I don't know what to wear,” Ayumi admitted in a small voice.

Oh boy.

“Grab a few possibles and come to my room.”

“What if they see?”

“Wrap them in a towel?” She asked, unsure if her friend was more afraid of the clothes being seen or herself in a robe.

But the line went dead and less than a minute later there was knocking at her door. Ayumi was blushing heavily and holding a towel the could barely wrap around the bundle of clothes inside of it. 

She distinctly remembered saying 'a few'. 

“Thanks for helping,” Ayumi sighed. “I just, I mean, they said we were walking, right?”

“Yeah,” Kagome said, grateful for the fact, because Ayumi had picked out sundresses and skirts.

“I think this one looks good on you,” She said, pointing to a knee length yellow skirt and white tank top. It was one of the best outfits her friend had, and she remembered that Ayumi looked perfect in it. Whichever youkai Ayumi had her eye on, she was fairly certain she'd get his attention with it.

Ayumi began changing, already wearing underwear beneath the robe. Kagome looked at the contents of the closet and was reaching for a pair of jeans when Ayumi made a noise.

“You're going to wear pants?” Her friend asked as she finished tugging the tank top down. 

“What? I like pants.”

Her friend gave her a flat look.

“What?”

“No.”

Ayumi had always been the passive one of the group, Yuka and Eri the more aggressive, pushy ones. But for once her meek friend was acting abnormally bold, going through the closet and pulling out a white sundress she had packed more as a lounge outfit than anything. 

“Why?”

“Because it'll look wonderful on you.”

“But-”

“Kagome, please?” Ayumi wheedled. Unlike her other two friends, she managed to pull off puppy dog eyes without looking utterly ridiculous. Also, unlike Yuka and Eri, it worked when Ayumi did it.

“Fine,” She muttered, accepting the dress and bending to pull out the draw beneath it. Grabbing white underwear she quickly dressed, grumbling the entire time. Wearing it was not going to help the situation with the two wolves sitting on the couch, but Ayumi had a strangely determined look on her face, and she wasn't in the mood to argue after the strange emotional roller coaster she had gone through over the course of the hour.

When she finished, she slipped her feet into a pair of plain sandals, put her still damp hair into a ponytail, and, apparently passing Ayumi;s inspection, followed her out into the suite's living room. All three youkai were sitting, talking in muted whispers that stopped as soon as they stepped out. 

“You both look wonderful,” Hakkaku told them, still grinning widely enough to make Kagome immediately suspicious. 

“Let's go,” Ginta said, already half way out the door. Hakkaku was rolling his eyes and Ayumi was laughing at his antics as Kouga trailed behind them, strangely quiet.

“What are they planning?” She asked as she reached the door. The others were already down the hallway and hitting the button for the elevator.

“They're just being idiots,” He muttered, running a hand through his damp hair. Unlike before, it was pulled into a low ponytail, and it made him look different, although how she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Making sure she had a key card, she accepted his offer to hold it since she had no pockets to carry it in. By the time they reached their friends, the elevator had arrived and was being held for them. Feeling as if she was walking into a trap, she got in and leaned against the back wall. Kouga followed and stood in the middle, keeping watch on the floors as the door closed and they descended.

Kagome realized she'd murder for conversation. But everyone was silent as they waited, and when the doors finally opened she walked out after Kouga, not even waiting for Ayumi. Not that it mattered, because by the time they'd reached the doors, she had a youkai on each arm and was smiling and blushing as they walked her out. 

“This is a little surreal,” She admitted as she fell into step next to Kouga. 

“I think you're friend's doing well enough,” He chuckled, watching as the trio walked ahead of them, barely noticing them as they talked about taking her on a ride on the track. 

“Ayumi has always been the quiet one. When Eri and Yuka were dating, Ayumi and I would hang out on the weekends and watch movies,” She admitted. “She's only had a few dates, mostly because she's shy.”

“Could'a fooled me,” He laughed. 

“You guys have a way of bringing a person out of their shell,” She retorted, finally relaxing now that they were on a neutral subject.

“I think you mean dragging,” He joked.

“Pretty much,” She admitted impishly, then sobered somewhat. “She really likes riding. I have a feeling Eri and Yuka will be busy for a few days. Do you mind if she comes with me?”

“Not at all. The guys have taken a liking to her, so it's not like she'll want for attention,” He smirked. 

Watching her friend, she was happy that at least she got along with her friends from the past. She still wasn't sure about Yuka or Eri, but she also knew she was probably right, Yuka and Eri probably would be busy, at least for a few days, living out their 'dream vacation' for however log they stayed interested. 

“You alright?” He asked, nudging her with his elbow.

“Just thinking,” She said absentmindedly. “Yuka and Eri had these grand plans for the vacation, and I didn't really think they'd actually do it,” She admitted.

“Everyone has their own ideas of what a vacation is,” He pointed out. “For them, it might be the last chance to get out of their shells and be a little crazy.”

He had a point, and when put that way, she realized she couldn't really disagree with what they were doing. It was what she was doing, in a sense, or at least, what she had planned. 

“What about your plans?” He asked, as if tapping into her thoughts.

“I wanted adventure, but mostly through motorcycles,” She admitted. “I figured I would learn to ride a bit, then go back to Tokyo and then to school.”

“And now?”

“I prefer it happening this way,” She admitted.

“Good, me too,” He told her, throwing an arm over her shoulder. It was a friendly embrace, one that offered company and support and pressed for nothing.

When they finally made it to the steakhouse, she was ecstatic when looking over the menu, Ayumi as well. Far from serving just beef, they also served different dishes of the local fish. Dinner came with stories about the track, about her high school adventures. When she finally broke down and admitted the gag gift of condoms had been for Ayumi, all three youkai had laughed uproariously while Ayumi blushed hotly and swatted at her playfully.

After they had been served their dinner it became a strange sample buffet with everyone offering one another food. She was reminded again that the youkai were just that, youkai, of a pack no less. Maybe they were used to sharing food. Ayumi didn't seem to mind, although she was shy at first before offering up a taste of her own. 

Ribald jokes erupted and soon they had devolved into stories about the silly things they had done growing up. Kagome was shocked to learn that Kouga had gone through his fair share of klutz attacks and Ayumi laughed when Kouga had responded by telling them about a time when Ginta and Hakkaku had tried to spy on women bathing and gotten an eyeful of their own mothers. 

By the time they walked out, she was so full she was positive she would pop, and sleepy to boot. Ayumi yawned widely, leaning against her until Hakkaku offered to carry her.

Kagome wondered if the two youkai were developing an interest in her friend or if they were being kind, and what would come of it. But, as if it was contagious, she yawned delicately and stretched as they walked along.

Kouga stopped hunched down a little.

“”Huh?” She asked dumbly.

“Come on, can;t have the guys showing me up when it comes to chivalry,” He joked. Nodding once, she didn't even bother arguing as she hopped on. It wasn't nearly as awkward as when she had first hopped on his shoulders, and his back radiated warmth. His arms hooked under her legs and she hugged his shoulders.

“Thank you,” She murmured sleepily. He really was warm, and when he walked he barely bounced at all.

“No problem.”

She pillowed her head on her arm and closed her eyes, resolving to open them in just a minute. However, the activity of the day and her full stomach caught up to her, and she soaked in the warmth radiating from the ookami, quickly drifting off to sleep.

~*~ 

A/N: It was at about this point that I realized two things. One, that Velvet had somehow roped me into another long fic. And two, that this was going to be much, much longer than anticipated. May the gods have mercy on our souls. I blame her for everything.   
And you guys, actually. Did you know that reviews encourage this madness? Well now you do. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 4  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~ 

When she woke up the next morning, it was to her cell phone ringing. Reaching from under the covers, she felt around on the nightstand for it, determined to make it stop. Hand finally hitting it, she grabbed it and was about to hit the reject when she saw Kouga's name blinking on the screen. Hitting accept instead, she put it to her ear, tugging the blankets over her head and curling into the warmth of the bed.

Wait. How had she gotten to bed?

“Morning,” He chuckled when she muttered a bleary hello.

“How did I get to bed?” She mumbled first, still half asleep and not realizing how rude she sounded.

“You and Ayumi were both asleep when we got to the hotel, so we put you two to bed and headed back to our hotel,” He explained, still chuckling.

Oh. How...Chivalrous.

“Thank you,” She mumbled, knowing she would be eternally grateful that he couldn't see her blush. 

“Not a problem. Well, there is a problem though,” He finally said.

“What's wrong?” And like that, she was awake and crawling from under the covers, noticing that not only was she still in her summer dress, but that someone had pulled her hair out of the pony tail and taken the time to line her shoes up next to the bed. She prayed that she hadn't snored.

“Doumen took a spill on a green track and Hayate needs a rider.”

What did that have to do with anything?

“He asked me if I would substitute.”

Unsure if he was happy or unhappy with the situation, she said nothing, waiting for whatever he would say next.

“The guys and I need to practice working on it now that we're going to be short a mechanic,” He sighed.

“Oh,” She mumbled, understanding.

“We'd still like to see you two today though, if it's possible.”

“Us too,” She laughed.

“It'll be later-”

“That's fine,” She told him, a plan already forming in her head. “Just give me a call to let me know when you're done.”

“Thanks for understanding-”

“It's not a problem, now go practice,” She laughed. He gave a quick goodbye and the line went dead before she could return it. Hopping out of bed, she left her room, intent on waking Ayumi, when she noticed four pairs of shoes scattered in the living room that had not been there the night before.

Figuring her friends had finally made it back, she ignored their doors and knocked quietly on Ayumi's. When she heard a quiet come in, she opened the door and saw her friend sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Hey, Kouga just called.”

“When did we get back?” Ayumi asked, looking around at her room in confusion.

“Apparently we both fell asleep and they tucked us in,” Kagome giggled. Ayumi blushed and smile shyly, as if she hadn't quite considered that option, but once realized, didn't mind it either.

“They're really nice, not at all like Yuka or Eri thought they would be.”

Kagome nodded in agreement, sitting on her friend's bed and pulling her legs up. Ayumi scooted back to make room and ran hands through her long, tangled hair.

“Kouga has to stand in for one of Hayate's team, so they can't come as early today,” Kagome explained. Immediately Ayumi seemed to droop, and Kagome chuckled, wondering which of the youkai her friend was forming a crush on. “But I thought we could surprise them.”

“How?”

“We can take a cab to the track, maybe bring them some lunch?”

“I think that would be nice,” Ayumi agreed quietly, visibly brightening. “I don't know what we'd bring them though.”

“I do,” She laughed. “You might want to bring a book though, since we'll be in the stands waiting for them to finish.”

“Can I borrow the one from yesterday?”

Kagome nodded and stood, stretching again as she told her friend to get ready, and to wear pants. Making her way back to her room, she quickly changed and pulled her hair back. Ayumi was still dressing when she told her she would be back in a minute, and she was getting ready to sneak to her friend's room to get her keys when she noticed them on the table next to the door of the suite itself. Feeling as if everything was going her way, she quickly went to her friend's car and grabbed her beach bag and returned, taking the time to empty it of it's contents and sand and putting her books and helmet in it. The jacket wouldn't fit, she she slung it over her shoulder, the padding and amour making it too stiff to hang over her arm. When she left her room, Ayumi was waiting, sitting on the arm of the couch and fidgeting impatiently.

“I wrote a note for the girls,” Ayumi said, pointing to the note she'd tacked to the door of the suite. Kagome nodded and grabbed a room key before they left. Once they got to the elevator, Ayumi let out a little giggle, and then another. Unable to stop herself, Kagome began giggling as well, feeling free to be excited now that they had left the quiet atmosphere of the room.

When they got to the hotel lobby, they were both indulging in a fit of hysterical giggles, holding onto one another for support. It took her three tries before she could ask the receptionist for a cab, and within minutes she and her friend were getting into the same cab she had ridden in only two days before. 

“Hello again,” She greeted cheerily. The driver, looking slightly surprised to see her, returned her greeting with a warm smile.

“Where to today miss?” He asked.

“Tomori's grill and then back to the track.”

“Found that secret have you?” He asked, a smile lighting up his features.

“Yuuma took me there the other day,” She acknowledged. 

“He's local?” The driver asked as he pulled off and began driving for the small burger dive. 

“He comes here a lot to work with the track owner as a mechanic.”

“Ah, so he's a mechanic.”

She nodded, noticing that the driver relaxed a little. Figuring he held with the stereotypes of racers, she let it go and hopped out at the restaurant and made her order, smiling when the cook, who said it was too early to worry about having a waitress there, told her he'd just finished the first set of the day. When she got back out, she handed the driver the bag that only held one and laughed when he offered up praise.

The drive was much faster than it had been before, and she and Ayumi both laughed and joked with the driver, who had opened up even further once she had gotten him lunch. When he dropped them off, she paid their fare and waved as he left.

“He seemed really nice,” Ayumi commented, holding one of the bags of burgers and fries. Kagome nodded, feeling strangely elated. Everything was going well, and she only hoped Kouga and the others weren't angry that she'd come early and brought Ayumi. 

Leading her friend to the stands where she had sat before, she was shocked when a motorcycle suddenly roared to life and began racing down the track. Ayumi's startled gasp echoed her sentiment as Kouga, at least she thought it was Kouga, zoomed down and around a curve out of sight before reappearing seconds later.

“He's so fast,” Ayumi breathed, eyes wide.

The books sat in her bag, forgotten, as they watched him take several laps around the track before pulling into the pit lane. In almost an instant he was back on the track, taking the laps with blinding speed. 

“It looks like he's going to fall,” Ayumi breathed, eyes wide as Kouga's knee scraped against the track and created a flash of sparks. He was almost perpendicular to the pavement itself, and Kagome's heart jumped into her throat. She almost jumped when Ayumi's hand grabbed hers, but was grateful for the fingers that laced into her own as they watched him continue making laps. 

What had been amazing and fantastic before became slightly frightening. Despite knowing that he was a youkai, she was still worried when his helmet looked ready to graze the asphalt on another turn.

But he was back in the pit again, and this time he did not reappear on the bike. She didn't miss him walking towards them though. Getting up, she walked over to the fence wall and looked down, blushing when she saw him grinning up at her. 

“Couldn't keep away?” He asked.

“No. We brought lunch from Tomori's.”

His face lit up and he didn't even try to hold in his laughter. 

“You're an angel. Remember the way down?” When she shook her head he held his arms out.

“What?” She asked dumbly.

“Come on, I'll catch you.”

“What about Ayumi, and the food?” She pointed out.

“Go get 'em,” He told her, laughing again. She turned, only to see Ayumi giving her a worried look. 

“He wants us to jump from up here?” She asked, her lower lip between her teeth.

“Don't worry, he won't let us get hurt,” She promised, grabbing the bags of food and her jacket and sack. Going to the fence, she carefully dropped each bag, watching him catch them with effortless ease and set the to the side. 

“You first or me?” She asked.

“I-I'll go first,” Ayumi stuttered, looking at the fence as if it was the great wall of china. Kagome helped her climb onto it and get onto the ledge.

“If I get hurt, you have to stay in the hospital with me,” Ayumi said.

“He'll catch you,” Kagome assured her again.

“He better.”

And with that she was dropping down. A second later Kagome heard her friend's small ooph as Kouga caught her before he sat her down on her feet.

“See, told you!” Kagome shouted at her friend, who was blushing heavily. She climbed on top of the fence and was in the process of turning so she could get to the ledge when her jeans caught on a piece of the metal.

A startle gasp turned into a scream as she toppled backward and she waited for the feeling of her body impacting the pavement.

Kouga's armored leathers weren't quite soft, but they weren't nearly as hard as the asphalt. 

“I think you do these things on purpose,” He joked, looking down at her. She covered her face with her hands and groaned, wishing, that out of all of the times she could have picked to have a klutz attack, it hadn't been that one.

“Thank you,” She muttered, cheeks burning.

“Are you okay?” Ayumi asked, eyes wide as Kouga sat her on her feet. She nodded, heart still hammering in her throat. 

“Want me to carry you?” Kouga asked, looking genuinely concerned. But taking the offer as a moment to break through the tension, she swatted him.

“I'm not some damsel in distress,” She told him primly, grabbing her jacket and bag and letting him carry the food. They walked over to the pit where Hayate, Ginta and Hakkaku were working on the bike, all of them talking back and forth to one another in quiet voices.

“Hey guys, break. They brought us food!” Kouga told them. 

Looking more than ready to take a break, the three males followed them into the shadow of the garage and pulled folding chairs from against the wall and set them up. Everyone gave surprised thanks when they saw the burgers and greedily gobbled them down.

“How long have you guys been out here?” Kagome asked, watching them fairly devour the food.

“Since about six. Hayate got the call last night, so we figured we'd get an early start with practice.”

“Is it really that hard?” Ayumi asked, eyes wide as she daintily nibbled a fry.

“It's just reassigning roles,” Hayate said, seeing that Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku had their mouths full. “Since Yuuma will be riding, he can't work on the bike.”

“I didn't realize there was so much involved,” Kagome admitted. “We're not distracting you all, are we?”

“Not at all, the food is a godsend,” Hayate admitted, looking grateful. “They can go forever without eating, I can't, old man that I am,” He added. Kouga snorted and balled up the burger wrapper before tossing it back into the empty bag. 

“I'd say they've got it though, last time wasn't bad.”

“Which is a miracle, by any standards,” Hayate admitted. “And the bike is solid.”

“Still, a few more laps couldn't hurt,” Kouga conceded. 

“Think you'll be able to concentrate?” Hayate said, a sly smile tilting up the corners of his mouth. 

“It's not me you'll have to be worried about,” Kouga retorted, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Kagome wondered what she had missed, but let it go when Ginta and Hakkaku both began arguing with Kouga about his statement. Kagome and Ayumi both giggled at their antics, turning when Hayate joined in.

“Are you sure it's alright that we're here?” She asked, still worried that they had interrupted important training.

“Oh it's more than fine. They'll be showing off to impress you, so hopefully they'll go through everything without fumbling around,” He snorted. “I'm guessing you're Ayumi?” He asked. When Ayumi nodded, he smiled and pulled at the bill of his cap genially. “Heard a bit about you from the boys. Glad you could make it out.”

“Thank you,” Ayumi said, smiling before taking another bite from her hamburger. Kagome was grateful they had been allowed to come down to the pit, because as they males moved to go practice, she realized the day had gotten warmer, and all she wanted to do was stay in the shade. Ayumi followed, infinitely curious about the motorcycle and the track, and Kagome was about to when Hayate stopped her.

“Kouga tells me you knew him a long time ago,” He said, stopping beside her. She nodded, knowing instinctively that his use of Kouga meant 'youkai'. 

“When we were both much younger,” She admitted quietly.

“I'm glad you found them. He's had work and the boys, but he's still shy around some of the others.”

She couldn't imagine Kouga shy, it seemed antithetic to everything he was, everything she remembered him being.

“It's good to have you and your friend around. I've got the main bench reserved for you and your friends on race day. Took some doing, but it's yours.”

“Oh, thank you, you didn't-”

“I did. He's a good man,” Hayate added, nodding in Kouga's direction. “They all are, helped me out in more than one jam. He and my mate aren't too fond of one another, but cats and canines never are. She was the one that knew him for what he was and told me, since then it's been a good partnership, works for us,” He chuckled. “I just need your name for the gates.”

“Higurashi,” She told him quietly, reflecting on what had been said. “Higurashi, Kagome.”

“Well then, you go on out there. He wants to preen even if he won't admit it,” He laughed, walking away. Kagome nodded, watching him exit through one of the heavy metal doors. It was another strange moment, one that reminded her again that Kouga was not all she remembered, and that he was more than he appeared to be.

Turning back to the group, she walked out into the sun and for the first time realized how immense the track really was. Stumbling as she walked over to the pit, she saw Kouga mounting the bike and getting ready to pull on his helmet.

Ayumi was wide eyed and curious as Ginta and Hakkaku took turns explaining what Kouga was about to do.

“Good luck,” Kagome told him, smiling softly up at him. Her short talk with Hayate made her feel badly for her old friend, and she wanted to give him something after everything he had done for her, had allowed her to be a part of. 

“Thanks,” He said, grin widening before he pulled on his helmet. 

“You guys move back,” Hakkaku shouted as Kouga started the bike and revved the engine. She and Ayumi both moved back to the concrete wall that lined the track and watched as Kouga pulled out, lazy wisps of smoke in his wake.

In the stands she had been able to keep track of him without too much trouble because of the distance. But on the track, she couldn't keep him in sight, and was surprised when she realized she was grabbing her friend's hand, holding it in a death grip. That he was youkai wasn't in her mind at all, only that he had disappeared in seconds and that when she caught sight of him again, it was turning a curve, knee grazing the pavement. 

He was only in view for a moment before he was gone again, the roar of the motorcycle echoing behind him. Ayumi's hand squeezed hers as they watched him come into sight and speed by again and again. When he pulled into the pit lane Ginta and Hakkaku were efficient grace, moving in tandem to check parts and make adjustments. In seconds they were stepping away and Kouga was peeling out, speeding down the track and out of sight.

Kouga stopped in the pit lane four more times, shield up and speaking to the two mechanics. Each time she had to stop herself from going forward and interfering, although she didn't even know what she would say. Like clockwork they were done in seconds and he was off, and when he stopped a sixth time, she was relieved to see him kicking the stand down and quitting the engine.

Still holding Ayumi's hand tightly, she walked forward, unsure of what she was going to say but wanting to say something.

“Best time was a little over twenty,” Hakkaku was saying as Kouga dismounted. Kouga seemed disgruntled with the announcement, but said nothing as he tossed Ginta the helmet.

“So what'd you guys think?” Hakkaku asked, finally looking over at them. Kouga blinked, as if he had forgotten they were there, and rubbed the back of his head when Ayumi began gushing over the speed and sound of everything. Hayate came back out, looking more than pleased, and clapped a hand on Kouga's shoulder. Kagome felt bad for not noticing him before, but she still couldn't muster any words to express what she was feeling, mostly because she was still confused about what she was feeling.

“You alright?” Kouga asked quietly, walking over to her. She looked up, surprised to see genuine worry pulling his features into a frown.

“I'm fine. It was amazing just-”

“Just?” He prodded, tilting his head to the side.

“Sometimes it looked like you were so close to tipping over or falling off.”

He seemed surprised by her concern, and when his gloved hand came to rest on her head, she felt like he was going to ruffle it, like he would a child's hair. But he stroked back once, and then again, smiling at her and shaking his head. Even if it wasn't ruffling her hair like a child, she felt very small, in a way, much smaller than him and childish for being worried.

“You should know I wouldn't go down that easily,” He reminded her.

“I know,” She grudgingly admitted when his hand dropped back to his side. “It's just hard to remember that when I watch you race like that.”

“Trust me, I don't spill,” He promised. She nodded, not protesting when he threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Grateful to feel him in one piece, she stayed in step with him as they walked back to the bike where the others were talking.

“You made some damn good time,” Hayate announced. “You sure you don't want to join the team on a permanent basis?”

“I'm sure,” Kouga said, rolling his eyes. “I'm not into going in circles for a living.”

“Damn shame,” Hayate sighed. “Well, if you have your lucky charms here for the race, you'll place, probably first.”

Kagome blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground, determined not to look at Kouga. Likewise Ayumi and Ginta and Hakkaku were all blushing, and Hayate merely snorted and told them he had more paperwork to go over, and for Kouga to remember that he had forms to sign. 

“I'll go over them tonight,” Kouga promised.

“You'd better. Now go change, you don't need to be hanging over a girl when you're probably sweaty enough to fill a spring.”

Kagome gagged, although she hadn't noticed the smell of sweat. The smell of rubber and hot pavement and gas had overpowered it easily. But when Kouga grumbled and pulled away, she saw that he was blushing heavily.

“I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'll be back in a few,” He called over his shoulder as he followed Hayate back into the building. Kagome watched, then turned back to the others, noticing that Ginta and Hakkaku were packing up a toolbox and beginning to walk the bike in. Ayumi was listening to them explain the mechanics of the race itself while she held Kouga's helmet.

No one said anything about her contact with Kouga the night before or today, and while it made her suspicious, given their insinuations several nights before, but she was grateful to let it go. Something was still unsettled and off kilter, and she couldn't quite name it. However, she wasn;t allowed to think on it long, because when they got back to the garage, Ayumi was ecstatic to find a white jacket and helmet on the chair she had occupied before, with a piece of paper that only had 'For Ayumi' written on it in a bold script.

Her worry washed away in her friend's elation, and she forgot her fear as Ayumi kept repeating that Ginta and Hakkaku wouldn't have to share their things with her anymore. The men's expressions looked somewhat put out, but when Ayumi tried on the jacket neither of them could contain smiles as she modeled it.

Kouga came back, a brown envelope in his hands. Kagome supposed it was the paperwork from before. But what was more attention grabbing was his hair.

She'd never seen it down before.

“I need to drop these off at the hotel before we can go do anything,” He muttered, waving the envelope. “Or else Hayate's going to send Meina after me.”

“He really threatened to do that?” Ginta stuttered.

“Who is Meina?” Ayumi asked, blinking rapidly.

“Hayate's wife,” Hakkaku answered with a shudder. 

“She's completely-”

“Evil.”

Ayumi swung her gaze between the two before bursting into a fit of laughter, one Kagome couldn't help but join. By the time they straightened, they were using one another for support and wiping tears from their eyes. Inhaling deeply, Kagome saw that Kouga had taken the time to put his hair back and was rolling his eyes.

“Let's get out of here, Hayate said she was on the way to help with some of the paperwork and I'll be damned if I'm here when that harpy is,” He muttered. Kagome noticed he hadn't said anything about Ayumi's new jacket or helmet, but wondered if he had some hand in it none the less. Resolving to ask him later, she followed him through the maze of corridors until they were exiting the building and back in the sun.

Behind her Ginta and Hakkaku were talking to Ayumi, making jokes at one another's expense and making her laugh.

“Where to?” Kagome asked.

“First the hotel so I can drop these off, and then somewhere not here,” He grumbled, making her giggle. When he looked down at her, she elbowed him gently, rolling her eyes.

“Could be worse, could be how you make a living,” She told him.

“Fuck that,” He snorted. “Hayate knows this is the last time I pull him out of a jam.”

“You're a good friend,” She replied, nudging him again. “Besides, it won't be so bad. You'll win, get a trophy, maybe some flowers. Would you like that, some flowers?” She teased, laughing when he ran his hand over his face and let it rest over his eyes before he looked back down at her.

“You're a little smart ass,” He finally said, a smile tilting his lips. “But at least you're not boring. Any idea where you want to go?”

“Some place cool, the track was sweltering,” She declared before he helped her onto his bike. She noted that even though they had reconnected on a few days before, she didn't mind the contact. Everything considered, he was being polite, and nothing like he was back in the feudal era. Grateful for the small favors, she was zipping up her jacket when he stopped her.

“Can you hold these?” He asked, waving the envelope. “I normally can, but with a passenger I don't want any distractions.”

“How-”

“Zip them up in your jacket?”

She nodded, taking the envelope and slipping it between her shirt and jacket before zipping it up the rest of the way. 

“We can just ride a bit and see what happens,” She offered. Ayumi nodded her agreement, smiling widely. 

“Never boring,” He told her again, smiling when she stuck her tongue out and then shoved her helmet on. Within minutes they were shooting down the road, and she wondered if being on the track hadn't rubbed off on Kouga. He seemed to take turns more quickly, sped up when he normally would have slowed. 

When he finally slowed, it was only minutes later and they were pulling into a small hotel, one that, while not the plush hotel she was staying at, looked nice enough. She pulled the documents from her jacket while he dismounted. He was quick to jog up the stairs and enter a room on the second story.

Curious, and having never been on a bike by herself before, she leaned forward slowly. The angle was steep, and she knew that even if she held her arms out she would just barely reach the handlebars, which were almost perfectly straight across. Even so, she carefully stretched her arms forward, marveling that Kouga could reach them at all. 

She saw the shadow fall across her and looked up, helmet still in place and thankfully hiding her face from view. Kouga slid his shield up and looked down at her, brow raised. She was grateful she couldn't see his lips, because she was positive the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes meant he was smirking.

“Cuddling my bike?” He asked, voice slightly muffled. “I'm sure it's flattered.”

She raised her own shield up, determined to keep her face relaxed so he couldn't tell how embarrassed she was.

“I was curious,” She answered honestly.

“It's too big for you. You're really small, we might have to fit one to you,” He added. 

She wasn't entirely sure she liked the sound of that, but he had already slid his shield back down and was mounting. Pushing the tinted shield on her own helmet down, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on when he peeled out of the parking lot. The others followed his lead, and she closed her eyes, deciding to enjoy the ride. After all, he hadn't caught her doing anything bad.

She was curious about how it felt to be on a bike by herself, to steer and drive. But long limbs were something she did not possess, and she knew she couldn't afford to have a bike 'fitted' to her, whatever that meant. 

They continued that way, and she clung to him as he sped up even more, hitting an open stretch of road that seemed deserted. Wondering again if he hadn't quite let go of the speed he'd found on the track, she prayed he didn't do anything foolish. He might be able to survive a wreck, but she wasn't entirely sure she could. 

Longer and longer, until the road narrowed and began sloping up, he drove tirelessly. The trees around them became taller, more plentiful, and she realized they were driving through woods. Wondering if he had any idea where he was going, she closed her eyes and stopped watching, instead taking a small comfort in the wind and the fact that she could feel him slowing bit by bit. 

When he stopped, she looked around and saw that they were at a small restaurant. He pulled off his helmet and handed it to her with a quiet, 'wait here' before disappearing inside. She glanced over to the others and both Ginta and Hakkaku shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads. 

Curiosity piqued, she waited patiently. After all, she was on his bike and, while she had been able to get off of it using him as a support, she didn't entirely trust the balance of the bike to try it without him. Within five minutes he was out, carrying two large bags, and walked over to Ayumi. Whatever he said she couldn't hear, but Ayumi took one bag and settled it between her legs before reaching forward and hugging Ginta's waist again. When he came over to her, he simply told her to hold it before taking his helmet and getting back on the bike.

The smells drifting up from the bag were wonderful and warm, which meant food. But before she could peek into the bag he was starting the bike, forcing her to lean forward and hug him again, beg almost smushed between them. 

He didn't speed, and when he took a turn off of the road onto a much smaller one, she was surprised to note that it was smoothly paved. The small lane took forever and wound and curved. She looked around, surprised by the density of the trees before they finally began to thin out. 

When he parked, it was in front of a small cabin that looked like it could only be one room. Wondering where they were at, she handed him the bag before slipping off of the motorcycle and pulling off her helmet.

“Where are we?” Ayumi asked, eyes wide as she looked around. Behind the cabin she could see a lake, although the shape made it's size impossible to determine. A dock stretched out into the water, and a small boat was tied to the dock.

“Hayate's getaway. He offered to let us use it when we needed to get out of the city,” Kouga explained. “And I needed to get some distance between myself and that fucking track.”

Kagome was surprised at the vehemence of his tone, blinking several times in confusion. She hadn't realized, until that moment, how much he hated racing in circles. A part of her knew that once upon a time he would have thrived on the competition, but somehow it didn't suit him now. Understanding that it was because his movements were confined, the speed meant nothing, she also concluded that he had driven so quickly because he needed to go fast on his own terms.

“It was good to be on the road,” She agreed, smiling up at him. He nodded, relaxing as he shed his jacket and walked to the cabin. Curiosity getting the better of her, she followed him to the small porch and then inside after he unlocked the door. 

The others followed, although once inside there was little room to move. It was a one room cabin, with a bed in the corner and a ladder leading up to a loft. Kouga dropped his jacket on the bed and they followed suit while he climbed up the ladder to grab something.

He came back down holding a folded blanket and frowning.

“Shit people, get out, we're not eating in here. It's too nice outside,” He muttered. Ayumi blushed and Ginta and Hakkaku ushered her out, leaving her alone in the small cabin with an irate ookami.

“Kouga, are you okay?” She asked.

“Fine, just, with everyone in here it felt cramped. It's like I've been pinned in most of the day,” He admitted with a deep sigh. “I'm sorry.”

“It's fine,” She told him. “You said Doumen was a youkai, right? Surely she should be fine to race in a few days?”

“She's fine now, but a few thousand people saw her go pavement surfing before slamming into a wall. She can't just pretend she bounced back from that without making people suspicious,” He muttered, running a hand through his hair and pulling it loose when it hit the beginning of the tail. 

“You're a good friend,” She repeated, giggling when he cursed. He gave her a flat look and she got on the bed, standing and using it as a step stool so she could reach his hair. Pulling the tail out, she brushed the mussed bumps free with her fingers and braided it before tying it off again.

“Smile. We're here, and there's a long ride back to my hotel. You'll get plenty of time in.”

He nodded, smiling gratefully as he helped her step off of the bed. She followed him outside, smiling when she saw the others sitting beneath a tree waiting, Ayumi guarding the bag from the two males sitting on either side of her.

When they reached the group the males spread the blanket out and she and Ayumi flopped down on top of it, Ayumi stretching and asking Kagome how she had gotten used to sitting like that so quickly.

“It's not too bad,” Kagome sighed. When she looked up Kouga was already pulling wrapped packages out and began distributing them. Kagome accepted one, surprised when she pulled the white paper back to reveal a green leaf wrapping. 

“Oh, lo mai gai!” Ayumi squealed excitedly, accepting a pair of chopsticks before unwrapping the leaf. Kagome did the same and found rice and meat. The combination was delicious and she ate slowly, savoring the rich rice and the slightly spicy meat. 

Unable to finish, she rolled the leaf back up and then the white paper, setting it back in the bag and leaning back.

“Full already?”

“That was huge,” Ayumi sighed, leaning back and using Kagome's stomach as a pillow.

“Were not guys, we don't have hollow legs to store all of that in,” Kagome shot out.

“Too bad, the woman at the counter found out I had ladies in the group and gave me some fruit for dessert.”

“I can't eat anymore,” Kagome sighed, looking away when Kouga pulled out an orange.

“Your loss,” He replied, voice seemingly apathetic. She watched him quickly peel it and toss it to Ginta before he pulled out another and peeled it for Hakkaku. “This is the last one,” He announced, peeling it quickly. She watched him eat the first slice and hoped her glare conveyed her displeasure.

“I'm full,” She declared, voice firm.

“I'm not telling you to eat one,” He retorted, pulling another slice free and biting into it neatly. 

She felt as much as heard Ayumi giggle and turned to see Ginta waving an orange slice over her friend's face. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Kouga only to have her eyes nearly cross on the blur of orange right in front of her nose.

“I'm full,” She muttered again.

“One piece.”

“No.”

“Please?” He wheedled.

“Nope. Not hungry.”

“I'll stop if you eat just one,” He promised. She heaved a sigh and moved her arm, but he was dangling it over her head and out of reach. Narrowing her eyes, she opened her mouth, wondering if it would be sanitary to bite his fingers while they were close.

She snapped when it came close, flinching when he teeth clicked against each other painfully.

“Fruit used to be expensive, the sort of things only nobles ate. You should take the time to enjoy it,” He pointed out brow raised when she sent a withering glare in her direction. 

“Fine,” She sighed, letting her head rest on the blanket again and opening her mouth. This time he didn't jerk his hand away when her teeth closed on the fruit, but she only bit about half of it off before chewing thoughtfully.

It tasted like summer to her, which was strange, because she was certain fruits had never tasted like anything but fruit before. Smiling when the flavor burst over her tongue and slid down her throat, she swallowed slowly and opened her mouth again.

The second bite seemed even more vivid than the first, and she closed her eyes to enjoy as she chewed slowly and swallowed. Opening them again, she saw him munching on a piece thoughtfully, staring down at her.

“May I have another?”

They continued that way until the orange was gone and she was feeling content and lazy. Ayumi likewise was sighing happily, and they were just beginning to doze when Kouga stood and stretched, then began pulling his shirt off.

“What are you doing?” Kagome sputtered, flushing when she looked up at him. The light filtered through the leaves of the tree, throwing shadows over his tawny skin, a perfect slanting shadow bisecting his chest and leading down to a fine line of hair that started below his navel.

“I'm going for a swim. I'm still antsy,” He admitted. “You guys should join me.”

“We don't have swimsuits,” Ayumi pointed out. He looked ready to say something, then knelt and held out his shirt. 

“Go change in the cabin, you can wear this over your, ah, underclothes.”

Ginta and Hakkaku had already shed their shirts and were giving them to Ayumi, who accepted Hakkaku's since it was a deep green and Ginta had opted for a white shirt that day.

Kagome stared at the black shirt for a full minute before looking back up at him.

“What about you?”

“We've got boxers,” He chuckled. “It'll just look like we're wearing really short trunks.”

She nodded, accepting hesitantly. Ayumi had already gotten up, and she accepted Kouga's hand to help her stand. She and Ayumi went to the cabin, and when she looked over her shoulder, she blushed when she saw the males stripping their boots and pants until they were naked save for their boxers.

Ayumi giggled about the antics of the group as they changed, and Kagome had to fend off the insinuations that Kouga was attracted to her. Since meeting him again he hadn't made any moves or declarations, he'd been a gentleman, in fact, and she pointed that out to her friend, who only tilted her head and gave her a look that said she clearly didn't believe her. 

When Kagome pulled his shirt over her head, she was immediately surrounded by his scent. Sweat mixed with the scent of wood, trees, and something spicy and sharp, reminding her of the forests in the feudal era when they had been warmed by the sun. It was, strangely she thought, undeniably a male scent. Inhaling deeply, she stopped when Ayumi giggled again.

“What?” She asked, tugging the shirt down.

“You had that thing wrapped around your face for a full minute, and I could hear you inhaling,” Ayumi pointed out, tugging the shirt she wore down. Kagome saw that like the one she wore, Hakkaku's green shirt hung down almost to her friend's knees, perfectly modest. 

“Come on,” She muttered, refusing to rise to her friend's sally. Their past aside, she had never understood what her friends had meant when they talked about how men smelled. She had always assumed they were romanticizing it, especially when they mentioned sweat. But there was something about the mixture of scents soaking the shirt that made her blush while also making her want to cuddle into it at the same time.

Muttering a small noise even she couldn't decipher, she walked over to the dock, watching as Ginta took a running jump and curled his body into a ball before he landed in the water. Kouga was nowhere in sight, and she wondered if he was underwater when she felt the air whoosh out of her lungs. 

She didn't have time to shout his name before she was in the air, a scream erupting.

The water was cold. Very cold. And it didn't taste good at all. 

She came up sputtering, only to hear another scream as Ayumi landed not far from her, creating a wave that splashed her in the face. 

Readying a volley of insults, she looked over to the dock, determined to shout loud enough to damage his sensitive hearing. But he wasn't there. Ginta and Hakaku likewise had disappeared.

“Kagome?” Ayumi gasped as she came up. “Why do they do that?”

“Because men never mature, they just get bigger,” She muttered as she looked around for any sign of them.

She screamed when something wrapped around her foot and dragged her under, bubbles erupting from her mouth before she slammed it shut as she tried to look around the murky water of the lake. She felt him next to her and pushed against him, using him to help propel herself up.

Surfacing abruptly for a second time, she glared at him when he emerged from the water next to her, a wolfish grin showing far too many teeth.

“If this is some sort of backwards wolf courtship ritual-” She muttered. His brow only quirked and the smile grew. Frustrated, she didn't even finish the sentence, instead grabbing his shoulders and pushing him under the water before swimming away. 

A game of tag was born, although she was never 'it', even after he caught her, sometimes grabbing her ankle and pulling her under, sometimes managing to lift her and throw her again. But if nothing else, he was relentless. No matter how fast she swam, he would catch her, and even when she cursed he laughed. Despite that, she realized she was having fun. It was an immature sort of fun, but fun nonetheless. 

When Ayumi's scream rang through the air, she turned and saw her flying off of the dock again, landing in the water with a giant splash that almost reached both she and Kouga, even though they were easily thirty feet away.

“I wonder what would happen if I told her that she just flashed them,” Kouga mused aloud. Kagome turned, mouth hanging open in shock when he smirked down at her.

“Tell me you did not see that when you threw me,” She demanded.

“Blue,” He retorted, smirk growing.

She was wearing blue panties. 

Making a strangled sound, she pushed down on top of his head, forcing him underwater and holding him there for a minute before letting go and using her arms to propel herself a few feet away. He was still smiling when he came back up.

“You do know that you just got mad at me for seeing your underwear and then pushed me down so I got an eyeful, right?”

“What?” She demanded, face heating.

“The shirt floats around you.”

“I give up,” She muttered, beginning to swim away. She was stopped when his hand wrapped around her wrist, and she turned back to him, trying to resist but unable when he pulled her a bit closer.

“Look, I'm sorry. If I crossed a line, I didn't mean to.” It was a sincere, heartfelt apology, one that she saw reflected in his contrite, shamed expression. “I haven't interacted a lot with humans outside of working with them, it's hard to forget, sometimes.”

She wondered for a moment if perhaps she'd overreacted. 

“It's alright. I'm just being a prude,” She sighed. “It's hard to forget that you guys shower together and all that and don't even care,” She added. Which was enviable in a way. The three youkai were apparently very comfortable with their bodies, to the point that they forgot most people weren't. 

He nodded, letting go of her wrist. They swam back to the dock and hauled themselves out, seeing that their three friends had already gone back to the blanket. She laughed when she saw them all, wishing for a camera to capture the moment. Ginta had pillowed his head on his arms, and Ayumi was using his stomach as a pillow while Hakkaku's head rested on her thighs. And they were snoring. Even Ayumi.

“Idiots,” Kouga muttered, but it was said with a sort of fondness, as if the insult had become an endearment over the course of the centuries.

“Let them nap. We've got to dry out anyway,” She chuckled, walking back to the dock. He followed and they sat at the end of the wooden construction, feet dangling into the water.

“I've always thought the summer vacations in movies were too picturesque, too fake to ever really happen,” She murmured quietly as she leaned against the support beam of the dock. He leaned back and used his palms to keep upright as he looked up at the sky, brow creased as he tried to find a reply.

“This isn't really picturesque,” He finally told her. “But I think under the circumstances it's allowed to be a little surreal.”

She nodded her agreement, although in the past few days it had changed from surreal to almost normal. It was funny, she thought, how easy it had been to fall back into a pattern of having youkai in her life. Even if he had changed, he hadn't changed too much. There was enough of the old Kouga present to keep him from feeling like a stranger.

“But it's nice. I never thought I'd have this much fun on the trip.”

“Even when I'm pissing you off?” He asked, grinning over at her. She rolled her eyes before nodding and laughing. He began trying to wring out his hair, then unbraid it, but began to mutter when he hit a snarled part. She scooted over behind him and began helping, using her fingers to slowly comb out knots and tangles. When he yelped she let out a snort.

“Stop being such a girl,” She snipped. 

“Stop pretending I'm one,” He muttered.

“Then maybe you should cut your hair.”

“Not a chance.”

“Then endure, oh mighty youkai,” She teased.

“I'll have you know there are a lot of perks to being a youkai,” He replied, voice so haughty she knew he wasn't offended.

“Like what?” She snickered.

“I can hold my breath for a long time.”

“Is that it?”

“Well, unlike normal wolves, wolf youkai aren't colorblind,” He added thoughtfully.

“Meaning?” She asked, confused at his tone.

“Blue is my favorite color.”

She pushed him forward off of the dock and into the water, knowing she should be angry or even embarrassed, but unable to help the laughter that bubbled out of her chest and into the air.


	5. Chapter 5

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 5  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~ 

She had just stepped into her room after a shower and was getting ready for bed when her phone rang. Wondering who would be calling so late, she flipped open her phone and saw Kouga's name flashing. Quickly hitting the answer button she put it to her ear, worried something had happened to him or one of the guys. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. No,” He muttered through the line. “Can you talk?”

Her stomach bottomed out and she sat on her bed, his tone sending dread lancing through her.

“Yeah I can talk. What's wrong?” She asked softly, gnawing on her lower lip.

“I'm in the parking lot.”

“The parking-”

Oh. 

“I'll be down in a minute,” She promised, closing the phone and running to her closet. Quickly tugging on a shirt and pants, she pulled her hair into a messy bun and grabbed a pair of socks from the draw, tossing them into her helmet while she tried to grab her shoes with the hand that held her jacket. When she stumbled out of her room she saw Ayumi coming out of the bathroom at the other end of the suite.

“Kagome?”

“Kouga just called, he sounds, weird,” Kagome finished, not wanting to hint that her friend had sounded as distressed as any male with an ego complex would allow himself. 

“Weird?”

“Just, I don't know,” Kagome admitted. “I'll be back soon,” She added, grabbing a key card from the small table next to the door and juggling everything as she opened it and headed out. Ayumi didn't say anything, although she waved at her while she waited for the elevator and tried to put on her socks. 

Once inside, blessedly alone, she dropped everything and shoved her feet into her shoes while shrugging on her jacket. But the time it reached the bottom, she had just finished wiggling her right foot to get the back unscrunched from against her ankle and had the key card in her pocket and helmet in hand.

Rushing out through the lobby and into the cool night air, she looked around, spotting him sitting away from the door, staring down at his helmet as if it was a crystal ball that would give him an answer to sooth whatever had his brows knit together and a frown tugging his lips down.

“What's wrong?” She asked.

“Can we go?”

She nodded, using him to pull herself up into the saddle and shoving on her helmet. The bike roared to life beneath them and she barely had time to throw her arms around his waist before he was peeling out of the parking lot. 

She had no idea where they were going or if he even had a destination at all. But his driving was different than before, a bit more wild, a touch more reckless. Wondering what could have affected him, she hugged his waist tighter, willing a sense of calm into him. It didn't seem to work, but she continued, regretting for the first time that the helmet and armor were keeping a wall between them. 

Eventually she could smell the ocean filtering in through the helmet, could taste the salt on the air. When he turned off and followed a single lane road, she imagined she could hear the waves crashing in time with the purring of the engine.

When he finally parked and pulled off his helmet, she slid off of the bike and pulled her helmet off, looking up at him. The moon was half full and the stars bright, making it easy to see the frown still marring his features. 

“Lets go for a walk,” She said, hanging her helmet from one of the handlebars. He nodded, doing the same, pulling off his gloves and dropping them into the helmet. She pulled off her shoes and socks, waited patiently while he mimicked her actions with his boots. Last they both shrugged off their jackets and she took his hand, leading him down the sandy hill and closer to the water. When the sane beneath their feet grew wet and hardpacked from the surf crashing against it, she chanced a look up at his face.

“What's wrong?” She asked again. 

He opened his mouth and then closed it, running his free hand through his hair.

“It's alright, you can tell me,” She prodded gently.

“What do you remember about then?” He asked. He didn't have to elaborate of when 'then' was, but she did wonder at his question.

“I remember our friends,” She said after several minutes of contemplation. “I remember meeting all of them, traveling and fighting with them.”

“Have you thought about it at all, the last few days?”

“A little,” She admitted quietly. “I think about how different we are now, how things have changed. You're still you, but you're a lot different. After what you told me, its natural, but sometimes I remember how you and Ginta and Hakkaku were, and it's just, strange,” She explained. “I don't regret it, and it's easier now, being around you three. You're not declaring that I'm you're woman every time you see me,” She added with a chuckle.

“I was a bit of a moron back then,” He smiled, looking ahead as they walked. The surf moved over their feet, washed away the tracks they had made. 

“Are you worried I'm just hanging around because of the past?” She finally asked. When he didn't answer, she supposed she had her answer, although she couldn't fault him for it. While he had made every kind of declaration on her person in the past, they hadn't been close, not like she and the others. Given what had happened to him and his pack, she couldn't find it in her to be angry that he questioned her motives. She would be wary of forming friendships or renewing old ones too.

“After about six months I stopped crying about the past,” She declared quietly. “I stopped trying to figure out ways back. After a year passed, I was back into the swing of living in this era. Two and I didn't think about it more than three or four times a day. This year, it sounds awful, but I devoted a moment each day to them. The more I went forward, the further I was from it. I loved my friends more than anything, but I don't think they would have wanted me to wallow in what could have been. I like to think they lived their lives to the fullest after I left, and that they'd want the same for me.”

He was quiet, assimilating what she had said. Despite the dim light of the moon and stars, she could see him sifting through her words and piecing together things in his head.

“Do you miss them?”

“I do,” She sighed. “I loved them, and for six months they were my best friends. Just because I move forward doesn't mean I'll stop.”

He was quiet again, eyes staring off into the distance.

“Just because you were a part of that past doesn't mean we can't be friends now,” She said at last, growing more and more worried as his silence continued. “Some things can't change, like you'll always be a youkai, and I'll always be a miko. But there's no jewel, no Naraku or vendettas or quests. Now we can find different things to hold us together, something besides fighting.”

He nodded, looking relieved. “I was worried that when you realized how different it is now, that we really aren't that different than humans-”

“Kouga,” She interrupted, squeezing his hand gently. “I put the past where it belongs. I've seen too many people hurt by holding onto it to repeat the pattern. You are you, even if you're not challenging everyone to a fight or throwing insults around like confetti.” He made a choking sound and she continued, encouraged because she could have sworn it was something similar to a laugh. “And no matter how hard you try, you'll never be like a human. You'll always be a wolf youkai. It bleeds into the things you do, the way you live. And I like it,” She admitted. “You're like you were, but more confident in it, quieter.”

“I was a loud mouth,” He admitted, the chuckle finally escaping.

“It's not just that. You aren't doing everything you can to prove you're the best. You just do what you do. You're loyal to your friends, or else you wouldn't be helping Hayate, you're good to Ginta and Hakkaku, you even tolerate me and Ayumi.”

“I don't have to tolerate you,” He muttered.

“It's good to know I'm wanted,” She retorted cheekily. 

“Remind me why I brought you here again?” He asked, a true smile tilting up one side of his mouth.

“To dump me in the ocean and worm out of teaching me how to ride a motorcycle?”

“Smartass,” He laughed, pulling his hand free only to throw an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him, wondering if she had said the right things. Feeling better for saying them out loud, feeling like they were more solid for having been said, she trusted that she had. 

When he drove her back to the hotel, he turned in the saddle and removed his helmet, watching her as she removed her own. For a minute he looked ready to say something, then closed his mouth again. Instead his hand came to stroke her head, and despite the glove she could tell he wasn't ruffling, but moving back and forth as he had the other night. Not ruffling, petting.

“Go get some sleep,” He told her, bending to kiss his forehead lightly. His lips barely brushed her skin, but warmth bloomed where contact was made, and she forced a smile to cover the strange awkwardness she felt.

“You too. And don't be afraid if you need to talk, I'm willing to listen,” She promised.

“Goodnight,” He said, nodding and put on his helmet. She watched him pull out of the parking lot at a more sedate pace than he had left with her hours before. She didn't stop watching until the lights on the back of the motorcycle disappeared from view.

As she walked back into the hotel and waited for the elevator, she thought about how he had grown, and how he hadn't changed, in some ways. Her hand came to rub her forehead absentmindedly until she realized what she was doing and stopped, face heating.

Kouga the arrogant. Kouga the shy. Kouga the mechanic. Old Kouga, new Kouga.

Kouga the friend.

By the time she had made it back to her suite and sat her helmet down on the bed, she wondered if he couldn't be turning into Kouga the crush.

~*~ 

When she woke the next morning, it wasn't to her phone ringing, it was to knocking. Blinking several times and rubbing her eyes, she looked at the clock, shocked to find that it was already eleven. 

“Kagome, you in there?” Eri called through the door. She heard whispering and was getting out of bed to answer when the door opened.

So much for privacy.

“Oh,” Eri said, looking disappointed.

“Oh?”

“Ayumi said you went out with Yuuma last night,” Eri explained. “I just thought-”

“It's not like that,” She muttered. “He just wanted to talk about some stuff on his mind.”

“Are you sure, you're really red,” Eri teased, stepping back to let her out of the room. She smelled coffee, and she needed it. Desperately.

“Kagome, it's alright if something happened, it's not like we're going to judge,” Eri wheedled.

“Nothing like that happened, we just talked.”

“About what?”

“Just stuff,” She defended, going straight for the carafe and grabbing one of the clean mugs, all while uttering a mental thank you to whoever had thought up the idea of room service. Taking a healthy swallow after filling her cup, she felt slightly more fortified to take on her friend.

“Kagome, you haven't shown real interest in a guy in years, not since Inu Yasha. You've spent the last few days with this one. You can't tell me you're just friends.”

“Who says a guy and a girl can't be friends?” She retorted.

“Says Ayumi telling me about how you two act. It sounds like you're both flirting.”

Had she been flirting? Her thoughts about the night before came back, and she walked over to the couch and sat, still sipping her coffee. Eri sat down next to her and minutes later Yuka emerged from the shower and, seeing the serious looks on their faces, sat on the couch across from them, absentmindedly rubbing her hair.

“Something wrong?”

“I think I have a crush on Kouga,” Kagome admitted.

“Good,” Yuka said, her voice firm. “You've needed to find a guy to be interested in.”

Kagome highly doubted she needed it, but it wasn't awful, she supposed. Except Kouga was treating her more like a friend these days. Nothing at all like he had before. 

“I'm not sure he's interested in me,” She admitted.

Yuka and Eri both made dismissive sounds and rolled their eyes, as if she'd said something utterly absurd.

“Kagome, he takes you places, lets you ride on his bike with him, and he hasn't exactly tried to keep you away,” Yuka pointed out. “I think he likes you.”

“Yeah but-”

“No buts. What's wrong with taking a chance? It's summer after all,” Eri pointed out.

Because if she acted on a small, stupid crush, she might lose any chance at being his friend, and she didn't want to hurt him anymore than he had been. But those were things she couldn't explain to her friends, and so she kept the information to herself, mulling over it in her own mind.

“I'm going to go see what Ayumi's up to. I think it's time for a girl's day.”

“What about Ruka and Ken?” Kagome asked, brow raised. 

“We're busy. If it bothers them, they'll just have to go elsewhere,” Yuka told her. “We need some girl time. Now go get dressed, we're going shopping.”

Given little option other than arguing, which she didn't feel like doing, she nodded and went back to her room, setting her coffee on the small nightstand before pulling clothes out of her closet. She immediately went for pants, hoping that maybe Kouga would call and rescue her. It wasn't that she didn't want to hang out with her friends, but shopping had turned into a trial as they had gotten older. Yuka enjoyed trying on half of the store before finally leaving with something, and she, well, didn't.

Grabbing her phone and her shoes, she walked out, checking the call log for any missed calls. Nothing. He hadn't texted either. 

Suppressing a sigh she sat and pulled on her shoes, waiting for her friends to finish getting ready. Luckily neither Yuka nor Eri felt like getting dressed up for their expedition, and Ayumi was ready and looked ready to burst at the seams when she stepped out of her room. 

In half an hour they were parking at a small shopping mall and Yuka and Eri were already trying to figure out what they wanted to look for. Kagome wondered if she could escape to a bookstore. When they went in she was looking around, hoping for a store that did not sell clothing, underwear, jewelry or makeup. 

However, even Ayumi turned on her, dragging her into the nearest clothing boutique despite her protests. 

“Kagome, you need to have something nice to wear,” Ayumi told her, ignoring her grumbling as they began going through the racks. “The race is coming up.”

“Why do I have to have something nice to wear to the race?” Kagome demanded petulantly, eyes grazing over the shirts decorated with sequins and profuse amounts of glitter.

“For when Kouga wins,” Ayumi said confidently. “He'll see you and win twice in one day.”

“I look nice now,” Kagome retorted, but she wondered if her friend had a point. Giving the rack a more careful examination, she discarded most of the items. They looked like ferret fodder, too shiny and bright by half.

“Kagome, how do you think this looks?” Ayumi asked, holding up a yellow shirt. It was cut short, that much was obvious, and would expose part of her friend's stomach. Ayumi had never worn something like it before, and Kagome couldn't help but wonder at the choice.

“I think it'll look good. You need something to wear with it though, unless you plan on running around in your underwear,” She pointed out jokingly. Ayumi blushed but nodded happily, walking over to a rack that had different skirts hanging from it.

“So we're shopping for the race?” Eri asked from a rack nearby. 

“I think it'll be fun to have a race outfit,” Yuka giggled.

“Kagome needs something nice to wear for when Kouga wins,” Ayumi told them, looking up from the skirts.

“He's racing? Kagome, you said he was a mechanic,” Yuka gasped, eyes wide.

“He's standing in for Hayate's niece, she apparently got hurt in another race-”

But Yuka and Eri had both dropped their own choices and were shuffling through hangers, both speaking so rapidly she could barely understand them. What she did understand out of the garbled mess terrified her.

“We need to find you something beautiful.”

Short skirts. Short shorts. Crop tops. Tube tops. Dresses that looked like they were supposed to be skirts. 

She accepted the friendly advice and breathed a sigh of relief for every discarded article of clothing, mostly because she was sure she couldn't even try them on without dying of shame. Ayumi added her own suggestions, all much more modest than the things Eri and Yuka offered, but it didn't diminish the feeling of being a dress up doll in the least.

“Guys,” She started, looking at the tube top Yuka was looking at.

“I think he'd like you in this,” Yuka said.

“Or this,” Eri added, holding up a neon green sheathe of a dress.

“Guys-”

“He'd love being able to see her tummy, and she wouldn't be able to wear a bra,” Yuka added, brows moving up and down suggestively.

“That's too much though, unless she wants to let him think-”

“GUYS!” She shouted, cheeks flaming when not only her friends but the saleswoman looked at her in shock.

“What is it Kagome?” Yuka asked, brows knit together in confusion.

“Kouga isn't that sort of guy,” She started.

“But he rides a motorcycle,” Eri pointed out.

“It doesn't mean he wants to see me in as little clothing as possible,” She tried.

“Every man wants to see a woman in as little clothing as possible,” The saleswoman pointed out flatly, face a mask of pragmatic acceptance. 

“Not this one,” She retorted. “And even if he did, I wouldn't be comfortable with it.”

“How about this then,” Ayumi suggested. Kagome turned, ready to tell her well meaning friend that she would just wear pants when she stopped, as shocked that the outfit was decent as she was that the store carried it.

“That's-”

“It looks so innocent,” Yuka said, as if she couldn't believe her friend had come up with the idea.

“Some men like that,” The saleswoman butted in.

“I think it suits her,” Eri said.

“I think you should try it on,” Ayumi said, smile widening. Kagome nodded, grateful that at least one of her friends hadn't lost her mind. Taking the outfit, she checked sizes and had to change out the skirt for a size up. When she went back in the changing room, she quickly shed her clothes and changed into the skirt and shirt. When she finished she stepped back and looked at herself.

It might have been an 'innocent' outfit, but she looked like an adult. The denim skirt hit several inches above her knees, but was long enough for her to bend over without fear. The blouse was light, she guessed linen, and a pale blue that reminded her of his eyes. His eyes when he wasn't hiding them, at least. It's sleeves were long and baggy, with elastic at the wrist to make them balloon out a little. She hoped it would shield shield her from the worst of the sun,. 

When she stepped out, even Yuka was impressed.

“He'll like it,” Ayumi said with confidence.

“If he doesn't he's an idiot. The blue sets off your eyes perfectly,” Yuka snorted. 

“Maybe a sunhat, one with a wide brim,” The woman suggested, holding one up. 

She put it on and looked in one of the mirrors on the wall.

“Perfect,” Kagome announced to everyone, twirling to drive her point home. 

“Now, just one of these,” Yuka said, holding up a tube top. “I have an idea for a summer photo to sum everything up,” She added when Kagome gave her a flat look.

In the end, she was in too good of a mood to protest, even if she swore she would never wear the tiny top her friend had, in a moment of maniacal glee, bought for her. 

Three hours later and she and her friends were loaded down with bags, most of which were Yuka's gifts to them, when her phone rang. She quickly dug it out of her pocket, ignoring the giggling and tittering at the table and flipping it open. It was a number she didn't recognize. Quickly hitting the accept button she held it to her ear.

“Hello, Higurashi-”

“Is Kouga with you?” Hayate's voice demanded.

“No,” She answered, immediately confused. “I thought he was training for the race.”

“He's not, and those two dunderheads say they don't know where he is either. He skipped out of practice today and won't answer his phone. I had to pump the idiots for your number,” He added, obviously irate.

Immediately panic set in. The night before she had spoken more than listened, and even though she had thought she was saying the right things, she might not have. Had she said something thoughtless, or triggered a memory he had wanted to forget?

“Just let me know if he shows up or calls you,” He asked a moment later. She offered a yes before the line went dead, giving her no time to say goodbye. 

“Is everything alright?” Yuka asked, a frown marring her features.

“Kouga's missing.”

“Missing?” Eri asked, face creasing with concern.

“Hayate can't get a hold of him and the guys don't know where he is. What, what if I said something stupid?” She asked, looking at her friends.

“What do you mean?” Eri demanded.

“We talked about the past some, how everything's changed. What if I said something that upset him?” She asked, voice pitching as panic turned to dread. It had never occurred to her that she might have said something to trigger a bad memory or something that might have belittled his own experiences. She sifted through their talk in her head, going over the serious part with a fine tooth comb and then sorting through the memories they had shared.

“I'm sure it's alright,” Ayumi tried, hand coming to her to give a reassuring squeeze. “Maybe he just needed a break, he didn't seem to like racing,” She added.

“But he wouldn't just disappear,” She muttered, opening her phone and scrolling through numbers. Quickly hitting call when she finally reached his, she held it to her ear and waited as it rang. After several rings it went through to voice mail and she started a text, asking if he was alright and sending it immediately.

“Kagome, he might have just needed some space,” Eri said. “Like Ayumi said.”

Yuka, for once, said nothing, and they finished their food in relative silence. The mood diminished, Yuka said they were going to go see a movie, her treat, and they took the bags to the car and dropped them off before going back into the mall and arguing over which movie to see. Kagome stayed silent, still mulling over their conversation in her head. Every word was gone over, checked for a possible double meaning given what she knew of Kouga. 

“Kagome, it'll be okay,” Ayumi promised. “He probably just needed some time to himself.”

The movie only offered temporary reprieve, one that could not completely block out her worry. 

Ayumi kept casting sympathetic glances in her direction for the entire drive back to the hotel. Needing to get away from her friends, she told them she was going to take a nap and carried her things to her room, ignoring them completely as they thumped onto the floor. She flopped onto her bed, grabbing a pillow and burying her face in it.

For the first several minutes she told herself that nothing had started with Kouga, that they were only friends and it could stay that way, that it probably would stay that way. Which was, inexplicably, even more irritating.

When her phone rang, she almost ignored it in favor of wallowing, but curiosity won out. She pulled it from her pocket and flipped it open, seeing Kouga's name flashing on the screen. Clicking the answer button, she pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” He asked when she said nothing.

“Hi,” She greeted, trying to sound casual and as far from worried as possible.

“I got your message, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Hayate just called and said you were missing.” She felt that she was doing a halfway decent job of sounding nonchalant when he cursed vividly.

“I'm sorry, I told those two to tell him I was busy. I had something to deal with in Tokyo,” He muttered. “I'm sorry he called you, I didn't think he had your number.”

“It's fine,” She said, still worried she had done something to make him angry. He was being strangely quiet, at least quiet for himself. “Is everything okay in Tokyo?” There, fishing without being nosy. At least she hoped so.

“It's fine. Look, I've got to go, take it easy and make sure those two idiots don't get into trouble.”

She heard someone in the background before the sound was muffled. After a full minute of the sounds echoing she closed her phone, effectively ending the call. 

“This is stupid,” She told herself. “Nothing happened, so there's no reason to be worried.”

Determination renewed in the face of his casual dismissal, she changed into her bathing suit and pulled on her sundress, setting her mind on swimming. When she walked out into the living room she saw her friends on the couch, whispering back and forth.

“Kouga just called,” She announced.

“Is everything alright?” Eri asked, brows raised. Kagome nodded and grabbed a towel from the bathroom.

“He's fine, he just had something to take care of. I'm going swimming. You guys want to join me?”

They all seemed to scramble to go change into their bathing suits, but Ayumi had to walk past her to her to her room. When she did, she paused and smiled brightly.

“You know, sometimes it doesn't hurt to give things a chance.”

With that piece of advice Ayumi walked into her room and Kagome resolved to firmly shove it to the back of her mind.

~*~ 


	6. Chapter 6

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 6  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha or to any of the existing places mentioned.

~*~

Three days passed before his number flashed on her phone. She didn't see it because she was busy trying to ignore that he hadn't called and that the race was less than two days away. She hadn't gotten another call from Hayate, and she hadn't been in contact with either Hakkaku or Ginta. Determined to ignore the problem into going away -because she was convinced mulling over it would only make it worse- she went to the beach with her friends, made use of the spa facilities as if she'd never see them again, and finished her novel.

Except she couldn't remember what the novel was about or how it ended, the beach had been full of tanning and time to think, and the spa hadn't helped clear her head in the least. When her phone rang she was trying to wash the smell of the hot spring from her hair. When she walked out in nothing but a towel she was going straight across the hall to her room when the sound of talking stopped her.

It was Kouga talking. And Ginta and Hakkaku.

“Little sister!” Ginta called out, waving. Kouga turned, face immediately reddening when he saw her state of dress. Not even saying anything she rushed into her room and slammed the door, groaning as she leaned against it.

“Smooth Kagome,” She muttered, regretting it in the next instant when she remembered how sharp youkai hearing was. Muttering darkly within the confines of her own mind, she rubbed her hair vigorously and quickly changed, pulling on a tank top and one of her summer skirts. When she finished, she took a deep, calming breath before stepping out.

To find a room curiously absent of almost everyone.

Kouga turned, smile lighting up his features when he saw her.

“Hey,” He greeted, waving.

“Where did everyone go?” She asked, still embarrassed he had seen her in next to nothing and unsure of what to say next. Quietly padding on the soft carpet, she walked over to the small living room area and sat on the couch across from him, drawing her legs up under her and leaning against the armrest, determined to be the picture of composure.

“They mentioned about going to do some shopping for the race, whatever that means,” He snorted, rolling his eyes. When she only nodded in return his easy smile faded and he leaned forward, concern etching his features.

“Are you alright?” He asked. “The guys said you didn't call-”

“I'm fine,” She murmured quietly, mentally scrambling for something to talk about and finding nothing.

“When a female says she's fine a smart male runs like hell,” He commented, obviously not believing her.

“You're still sitting,” She pointed out.

“I've never been a particularly quick learner,” He retorted. “Something's up.”

“Nothing's wrong,” She protested, bringing her knees in front of her and hugging them tightly. She wanted to bury her face in them but knew giving away how badly she wanted to hide would only provoke further questions.

“Tell me.”

“I'm fine,” She retorted.

“That word again.”

“I promise, everything is fi-”

“If you say it again I'm going to drop you in the nearest body of water I can find.”

“I'm okay.”

“Kagome, what happened?”

“I was worried,” She blurted, immediately wishing she could take it back. His surprised expression only made her feel that much more foolish.

“About what?”

“You left after we talked, I thought I said something wrong,” She tried to explain, but the words were mangling themselves somewhere between her brain and her lips. He stared at her blankly for a minute that, to her, stretched into an eternity. 

“You thought I was mad at you?”

When he said it like that, it made her wonder why she'd said anything at all.

“Shit,” He muttered, leaning back into the couch and rubbing his face. “I didn't think about that. I had to get back to take care of an order. I'm sorry, I didn't think about how it might be, I mean, I told Ginta and Hakkaku to drop by-”

Relief flooded through her, and she ignored his fumbling in favor of getting off of the couch and going to set next to him. He stopped trying to figure out what to say when she wove her arms around his neck.

“It's fine,” She told him, voice muffled. “Don't do it again.”

“I won't,” He promised. She pulled away, saw how awkward he felt reflected in his uneasy expression, and pulled back, blushing hotly. 

“Look, I know it's last minute, but with the drive being so long, the race starts early,” He said, trying to fill the silence. “The guys and I were talking. Do you want to stay with us tomorrow night?” He asked, flushing. When her mouth opened he barreled on, voice betraying his anxiety. “Not, not with us,” He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We've each got a room, you and Ayumi can crash in mine.”

“What about Eri and Yuka?” She asked, feeling as awkward as he sounded.

“They can have one of the other rooms. It's not going to kill us to sleep on a floor or something.”

“Not when you're used to caves, and you three could always share the bed,” She added.

“Hey,” He muttered reproachfully. “It's been at least three centuries since I slept in a cave or in a mutt pile.”

“A mutt pile?” She asked, the words half choked with her laughter. 

“And women say men are perverts.”

“Well, it does sound pretty bad-”

“Don't go there. I can still drop you in the nearest body of water.”

“You wouldn't dare,” She laughed, relaxing. But it was the wrong thing to do, because the air whooshed out of her lungs and his shoulder pressing into her stomach uncomfortably. 

“Kouga-” She hissed, wishing she could see his tail so she could give it a swift yank.

“Are we interrupting something?” A voice asked. 

She groaned, covering her face with both hands when she realized it was Yuka's.

“She dared me,” Kouga stated simply.

“I did not,” She muttered.

“Dared you to what?” Yuka's voice asked, pitched with laughter she was trying to suppress.

“She said I wouldn't drop her in the nearest spring.”

“Is that it?” Eri asked.

“What? No!” Kagome shouted, trying to wriggle free. His arm tightened around her legs and he bounced her once, earning an angry grunt for his efforts.

“Put her down,” Ginta said.

“She looks mad,” Hakkaku added.

“Now Kouga,” Ayumi told him. 

“Nah,” He muttered, tightening his arm even further around her leg before walking to her room. Panic made her begin squirming anew when he opened the door, and she tried kicking her legs only to have him bounce her again.

“You keep doing that and I'm not going to be nice.”

“Nice?” She sputtered as he bent and grabbed her jacket and helmet. “How are you being nice?”

“I'm not going to drown you.”

“Kouga,” She hissed, but was ignored as he walked back out, ignoring the stares they were receiving. She couldn't miss her friends amused stares or the thumbs up they gave. Which in no way helped her situation.

“Kouga, put me down,” She muttered.

“Nope.”

“I'm wearing a skirt,” She added.

“I can see that,” He retorted, waiting for the elevator. Her friends spilled out of the room, Ayumi with her jacket and helmet, and Yuka with her car keys jangling. Mortified that they were watching, obviously entertained, she covered her face with her hand and groaned. The elevator opened and when she tried to get down his hold on her tightened and he bounced her again.

“Put me down,” She demanded as the doors closed. 

“No.”

“Stop being such a jerk.”

“Stop being such a pain in the ass,” He retorted. 

“How am I being a pain in the, well?”

“You started it and now you're whining. And don't try to kick me again,” He muttered, stepping out and ignoring the stunned gazes of the people waiting outside. The receptionist said nothing, and Yuka waved and said it was alright, just some friendly horse play, as they walked outside into the sunlight. A minute later he sat her down on his motorcycle and held out the jacket and helmet.

She glared at him.

“If you don't I really will carry you to the pool or the spring and drop you in,” He promised. 

She crossed her arms and turned her head, eyes closing and a small, derisive noise escaping her throat.

“Well, since you really want me to-” He began, bending to pick her back up.

“No, no,” She muttered, grabbing the jacket and helmet as she realized that he probably would do it. He seemed satisfied, catching his own helmet when Ginta tossed it to him. 

“Where we headed?”

“Don't know,” Kouga answered, smiling before he tugged his helmet into place. 

When they pulled out onto the road something felt different in the way he drove. Keeping her eyes on the distant scenery she watched the world fly by as the sound of the engine and other cars passing them vibrated through the helmet. The wind on her bare legs was almost hard, like a wall of pressure trying to hold her back. It was almost uncomfortable, except most of her was shielded by Kouga's tall form as he sped up.

Clinging to him, she tried to block out the noises around her and focused on the purring of the engine and the sound as it accelerated, how it felt to hold on to him. Her worry washed away, she was free to wonder, however silly and immature it was, what it would be like to actually be with him, if anything would change at all.

When he decelerated and turned into the small parking lot they'd gone to several nights before, she smiled and pulled off her helmet, waving as her friends pulled in behind them. Yuka hopped out, looking peeved and ready to say something until Eri said something to quiet her. 

“This is a nice spot,” Ayumi observed, smiling as she up her helmet on the seat of Ginta's motorcycle and pulled off her jacket. “It doesn't look like it gets a lot of people.”

“It's doesn't,” Hakkaku confirmed.

“It''s too rocky for most people,” Ginta added.

“I think it's fine,” Kagome said, smiling at her friends as she sat her helmet on the bike. She had just gotten her jacket off when she heard it.

“That word again,” Kouga said, voice full of ominous warning. She only had a moment to try and stutter out a no before she was over his shoulder and he was running down the hill, obviously using his youkai speed and grace to keep from killing them both.

“Kouga don't you dare,” She muttered, knowing full well that he could hear her. 

“You should know better than that,” He laughed just as they hit the surf and he crashed into the water, moving with surprising speed despite the resistance of the waves.

“Do wolves love the water or are you just special?” She muttered before she was dumped off of his shoulder and into the water. When she came back up he was smiling at her, wolfish grin showing far too many teeth for her liking.

“We might have a fondness for it,” He replied, fairly preening. 

“You deserve this,” She retorted, calling on a power she hadn't used in years as she poked him with her index finger. She could feel the energy pulsing through her before to leapt the short distance to his arm.

“God, shit,” He cursed, shaking his arm as if it would free it of the sensation. He turned back to her, eyes narrowed. “That actually hurt.”

She made a disgusted sound and began walking for the beach when his hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.

“No way,” He laughed, tugging her back. “If you're going to pull a stunt like that-”

“What?” She demanded petulantly.

“Well, we can either settle it here, or you can ride home in your friend's car.”

“I'll have to anyway, I'm soaked,” She muttered.

“It's still sunny out, you could be dry before we leave.”

“No,” She sputtered.

She felt a strange jolt of electricity and turned to stare at him, wide eyed.

“Was that-”

“Parlor trick,” He chuckled, and she felt it again, the electric feel of youki jolting her arm again.

“I can't believe you would actually-”

“What? Play?”

And because it was playing, it was safe for her to push against him lightly, channeling her power through her hands. In the process, she propelled herself backwards and began swimming, determined to get a head start while he was still trying to get over the affects of her reiki.

She had only gotten a few feet when youki touched her foot, shooting up her ankle and paralyzing her leg. An angry yelp escaped as seawater splashed into her mouth, and flailing her limbs desperately, she tried to stay afloat and get her leg to move but failed. A moment later his arms were wrapping around her and he was pulling her closer to the shore until her foot -the one that could move and feel something besides small bolts of static running through it- was planted firmly in the sand. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, concern evident as he held her up while waves pushed against her. 

“I'm fi-” She stopped and glared up at him, seeing the faintest hint of amusement tinging his worry as she shut her mouth. More irritated than angry, she pushed against his chest with her finger, making sure she poked hard, and sent a pulse of her power at him.

He was oblivious to her staring as he cursed and rubbed the spot on his chest and the surrounding area with the heel of his hand. He was readying to say something, but stopped when he saw her expression.

“What?” He demanded.

“Your eyes.”

“What about them?”

“They're blue,” She stuttered, staring with growing horror as she realized what had happened. 

“Change back,” She hissed.

He was busy staring at fingers tipped in claws, his face quickly mirroring her own expression of panic.

“I can't.”

“What do you mean you can't?”

“You did something, what did you do?”

“I just poked you like you poked me,” She muttered.

“Hey guys!” Yuka's voice called out. Kagome looked past Kouga to see her friend walking into the surf. Kouga began to turn as well when she stopped him.

“Don't,” She muttered, before moving a bit to the side, foot still immobilized and unable to hold her. “Yuka, we just need some time!” She called out, waving her friend away. Yuka, only ten or fifteen feet away, smiled slyly and nodded.

“Go Kagome, get him!” Yuka shouted back. Immediately Eri joined in on the catcalling.

“Please tell me you did not hear that,” She muttered, covering her face with both hands and praying for a swift death.

“I'll remind you of it later,” He muttered, pulling his hair free of it's pony tail and letting it hang down. “We currently have a bigger issue to deal with.”

He didn't just sound angry, he sounded afraid. Looking up at him she saw that he was afraid and frustrated, brows knit together in concentration.

“I can't will it back,” He muttered. “Shit.”

“Maybe it'll fade?” She asked hopefully. Already the numbness in her leg was fading, bit by prickly bit, although sensation returning wasn't exactly pleasant. Maybe her power had affected him in the same manner, temporarily stunning whatever it was that allowed him to hide his real face.

“Okay. Let's just, give it time,” He muttered, running a clawed hand through his hair. 

“I'm sorry,” She sighed, testing putting weight on her foot and finding it still too numb to support herself. 

“I'm pretty sure I told you what would happen if you kept apologizing.”

“Yeah, but this-”

“Is me getting put in my place by the universe, or some such hokey bullshit. I know you wouldn't do this on purpose.”

His confidence in her only made her feel more apologetic, but sensing that the last thing he wanted to hear was another one, she opted for a different route.

“Tell me about your work.”

He looked surprised for a moment before nodding, obviously searching for a place to start.

“We all loved our bikes, but we began working on them lot, messing around with them to see what we could do to make them go faster, make them run better. Eventually it became a way to make a living,” He admitted. “We're good at it, and we enjoy doing it. Paperwork side of it is hell, but it's not a bad life,” He added.

“What all do you do?”

“We're mostly just mechanics. We'll work with other people's bikes and get them to do whatever people want them to do. Ginta is good with engines and Hakkaku likes working through everything else.”

“What about you?”

“I do both. I decided to build a bike and learned how. No going back after that,” He chuckled. “We can build them from the ground up or modify them, fix them. Since we started doing work for Hayate, we've gotten more specialized, which means fewer customers but more money. It gives us a lot of time to fool around and try new things.”

She listened to him talk about his work, something he was obviously in love with. Though she had only seen him riding motorcycles and never working on one, she could tell it had formed a cornerstone of who he was, and that it was something he lived for. 

“I envy you,” She admitted quietly, once he had finished. “I haven't found anything like that.”

“Really?” He asked, surprised. She nodded, testing her foot and finding herself able to put her weight on it and walked, although somewhat awkwardly. 

“I'm still figuring things out. I'm going to a small general college until I get a better idea of where I'm going.”

“You always seemed like you had an idea,” He told her.

“Try to hide yourself,” She said, skirting away from the topic. For a moment she could see a look of fierce concentration strain his features, but nothing happened.

“I'm never going to piss you off,” He chuckled, seeing his clawed hands and running his tongue over his fangs before shrugging. She began walking for the shore, stopping when the water lapped below her knees.

“They'll leave us alone if we stay in the water, I think,” She told him, nodding at her friends in the distance. He said nothing but offered his elbow as she stumbled, foot still protesting.

“So no plan?” He asked.

“No. I couldn't figure out a plan, what suited me. I've never been really good at anything-” He made a derisive sound at that, but she continued. “I'm not especially smart or creative. For awhile mom and I talked about me inheriting the shrine, but I don't think I could stay there forever. Ever since I came back, Tokyo has seemed so small.”

He nodded, eyes moving from her to look off in the distance.

“It feels smaller than it used to. It's part of the reason I come out here to help Hayate. There's still cities and everything, but it's not nearly as crowded as Tokyo.”

“Why do you stay there?”

“Mostly business. More people there, more work, easier access. What about you? Why are you staying there?”

“I'm actually going to Shizouka for school. It's not far away, but it's far enough,” She laughed. “I need to get some space from my family for awhile. They're still not entirely over me traveling through time. I guess it seems more fantastic if you haven't lived it,” She laughed, although there was more truth to the statement than she cared to admit. 

“Probably. But you'll only be a few hours away. Plenty easy enough for me to make you don't slack on riding.”

“I'll probably only be riding a bus when I move,” She laughed.

“I'll make sure you get some practice.”

“On what? Your bike? I thought we'd already established that there's no way I can drive it.”

“Didn't look half bad trying though,” He admitted. It was the first sort of compliment he'd given her, however nonchalant it was. He didn't seem to notice, and she wondered if he had meant it as a compliment at all. “Besides, I've never seen a woman cuddle a bike before. I think I need a picture.”

“I wasn't cuddling it,” She retorted, pushing against him with her body so that they listed to the side. 

“Admit it, you were. Like every female, you just want a big, powerful machine between your-”

“You want me to zap you again, don't you?”

Her comment seemed to remind him of his inability, and he paused for a moment, brows furrowing on concentration. Slowly, sluggishly, his eyes changed to a muddy brown and the claws softened into rounded nails.

She missed the real him immediately.

“I guess we can join the others,” She murmured, not wanting to but not wanting to seem too desperate to be alone with him.

“Why? They seem to be doing well enough.”

She felt she did a good job of hiding her pleasure at his words, shrugging and nodding casually. 

“So, now that that's solved,” He said, smirking down at her.

“What?”

“Do your friends have a pool or something going? I could hear them telling the guys that we needed private time.”

She groaned again, shaking her head until her hair hid her face. Her foot having regained feeling sometime during their talk, she stepped away and put some distance between them.

“You alright?”

“I'm fine. It's just, they're dead set on me having a summer romance. When I was traveling back and forth between now and the feudal era, they listened while I ranted about Inu Yasha and, uh-” He she paused, because the word 'you' had almost escaped, and she was more than sure he wouldn't appreciate the sentiment.

“And?” He asked, curious.

“Hojo,” She muttered hastily. “He was a really well meaning guy of this time, but about as dense as a brick. I didn't date a lot in high school, so when they see me talking to a guy, any guy, they try to turn it into some movie drama,” She finished. “The last time it happened they encouraged a guy for me and I ended up with more teddy bears than I can count even after I explained to him that I wasn't interested.”

And she still hated teddy bears.

“I see,” He said, nodding. “So they're just trying to get you to be normal?”

“I am normal,” She protested.

“No, you're not,” He replied flatly. “You traveled back and forth through time, you defeated Naraku, destroyed a cursed object that had managed to stay alive for centuries, all while managing to go to school. You're a miko that's friends with youkai, you like motorcycles and reading at the beach, and you're not interested in dating.”

“It doesn't make me abnormal,” She defended.

“It does.”

“I like reading.”

“The beach is for playing, having fun, doing things.”

“And I bet lots of people know about youkai, and that there are other miko that are friends with them.”

“Maybe,” He acceded. 

“Motorcycles are a perfectly fine way to get around.”

He nodded.

“The jewel thing was a fluke, I was born with it inside of me. And just because I don't treat dating like it's a hunt for buried treasure or safari does not mean I'm not interested,” She added, cramming them all into one breath and hoping she didn't sound too defensive.

He was nodding until she got to the last part, when a strangled laugh escaped. She was grateful for the laugh, because it meant he wasn't taking it as a come on. Although a small part of herself admitted -just to herself- that it was a way to get it out in the open without actually putting herself or him in a potentially awkward position.

“You would have made a terrible wolf,” He chortled, looking far too amused for her peace of mind.

“Why?”

“We always treat it like a hunt,” He joked. 

“I remember,” She muttered sourly, remembering all too well how persistent he had been. Despite her feelings in the present, his behavior in the past had driven her beyond the logical limits of tolerance and into sainthood. 

“Hey, I admitted I was an idiot back then,” He snorted. “Besides, not like the other guys you were hanging around were much better. The monk would have grabbed my ass if he could have.”

She choked on her laughter, the image in her head playing out like a train wreck. When she finally composed herself, she looked up at him, saw the amusement in his gaze and tried to quell her impish grin, knowing full and well she couldn't. 

“You have an awfully high opinion of your assets,” She snorted, almost choking on the words as they came out. 

“You saying I'm not good enough for a game of grab ass?”

“I'm saying Miroku might have been a pervert, but he wasn't suicidal.”

“My ass. You forget the times I was there to see his mate pound him into the ground. You'd have to be suicidal to take on a woman like that.”

“Sango was a perfectly good mate-”

“That he would grope and get hit by. With a weapon made of youkai bones. I'm failing to see where self preservation plays into that.”

He made a fair point, one she had trouble refuting.

“Love makes people do crazy things,” She finally said, shrugging. “Miroku and Sango balanced each other out.”

“I guess,” He finally said. “Come on, we need to get dry before we leave, or else you'll turn into a popsicle on the way back.”

“If you hadn't dumped me in the ocean for saying fine it wouldn't be a problem,” She retorted.

“What's a threat if you don't prove you're willing to go through with it?” He said with a smirk as they walked onto the hard packed sand of the beach. She noticed that he had taken off his boots, but his jeans and shirt were still wet. Her skirt had dried somewhat in the sun, but it still hung damply around her legs, and her top was still wet.

“I wish you had some sort of trick to make my clothes dry now,” She sighed.

“I might be a youkai but I am not a miracle worker,” He snorted as their friends spotted them and waved.

When they joined their friends there was nothing said about their walk in the water, but there were several questioning glances. Thankfully she was able to at least pretend to ignore them, and Kouga followed suit, ignoring the confused stares as they walked and spoke of the future, both immediate and distant. 

Kouga again brought up the idea of them using their rooms the night before the race, explaining that it started early and his hotel was closer.

“We can get our own rooms,” Yuka said. “No problem.”

“It's not a money issue,” Ginta started.

“The hotel is booked solid for the race.”

“There aren't any rooms available.”

“We checked,” Hakkaku finished. 

Kagome listened while Kouga explained how the hotel had actually overbooked, so getting a room truly was impossible, and that he and Ginta were more than willing to give up their rooms so they would only have to double up in the beds themselves. 

“It's not the Kangetsuen, but it's decent,” He finished.

Yuka, despite her love for things first class, readily agreed to the arrangement, saying it was a good idea and that she would be more than willing to make the drive. Knowing her friend was still plotting to throw them together, Kagome couldn't help but be worried. Hopefully they wouldn't attempt to do something on the eve of the race. Kouga disliked the track enough as it was, she didn't want him in an even worse mood because of childish silliness.

“I'll be busy most of tomorrow, so you guys can drive up whenever you want. The track will be closed to anyone outside of the race though. Besides, Meina will be there,” He added with a sneer. “You'll be lucky to avoid her.”

Kagome wanted to ask about the shadowy figure that was Meina, now that she had come up again, but didn't when the other began going over what the race would be like. She listened with half an ear, already able to see what would happen in her own head. 

By the time they were ready to leave, her clothing had dried, stiff with salt, and she was more than ready to go back to the hotel and change into something clean. 

“Hold tight,” He told her. “The guys will direct them back, we're going ahead,” He told her before shrugging on his helmet.

Even if he was still loud and brash and strangely unpredictable, it was easier to hold to him after their conversation. What had been the first stages of a girlish crush had quickly tipped into something a little deeper, her admiration of his passion tinged with a curiosity of what it would be like to have that passion directed at her.

Blushing despite the chill that pressed against her as he navigated the roads, she tightened her arms around his waist and tried to will those thoughts away. It took her the better part of half an hour, but by the time they had reached her hotel, she had forced them back into the box they had sprung from and could look him in the eye when she removed her helmet.

“So serious, what's on your mind?” He asked as she threw her leg over the bike and dismounted. 

“Just the race. I've never been to one.”

“No worries. I'll win and everyone will be surprised,” He snorted as he gracefully got off of his bike. 

“You're so sure of yourself,” She laughed, walking for the hotel entrance.

“I've got a good luck charm,” He said, shrugging carelessly.

“A good luck charm?” She asked, giggling at the thought. She supposed youkai had every right to be superstitious, given the nature of their existence, but the idea of one carrying a good luck charm, much less Kouga, was almost ridiculous.

“Yup.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” He asked, looking down at her in confusion as they walked in.

“What is it?”

He was quiet and shrugged again, not saying anything when they stepped into the elevator. 

“You can't just say you have a good luck charm and not tell me what it is,” She wheedled.

“If I tell you it might stop being lucky,” He retorted.

“That makes no sense.”

“Does to me, all that matters.”

“Fine,” She said, slightly hurt that he wasn't willing to trust her and trying to find a logical explanation that would quash the hurt. He was a youkai after all, and she was more than aware that they lived by a different set of rules. It didn't stop her from feeling a bit left out that he wouldn't explain it to her, and by the time they got to the room, she was firmly telling herself that it didn't matter. 

“You don't have the key, do you?” He asked, staring at the door.

She opened her jacket and reached into the inner pocket, waving it haughtily before sliding it through the lock and stepping in.

“I'm going to go shower, you're free to use the other,” She told him, already walking for her room. He said nothing but headed for the other shower in the suite, and she determinedly put the idea of his charm from her mind.

Taking care to grab a change of clothes before she went to shower, she only dimly heard the sounds of him across the suite and hurried across the hall. Quickly getting out of the salt stiff clothes she hopped under the water and scrubbed vigorously, suddenly feeling itchy.

Even after she was clean she stayed under the spray of hot water, wondering if he would be gone by the time she got out, almost hoping for it. It would be nice to have some time to herself to relax and try to figure out what was going on in her own head. After a short eternity had passed, she got out and dried off, checking her foot for any sign of their 'game'. 

There wasn't a bruise or scar, not even a blemish to hint at what he had done, and she was sure it had been as accidental as her subduing of his illusion. Grateful that there was no outward mark, she quickly dressed, pulling on her pajama pants and shirt and balling up her dirty clothes in the damp towel to have washed later.

When she stepped out, she didn't hear the sound of a shower, but she did see his head lolling backwards on the couch. Quickly dropping her clothes inside the door to her room, she walked over to the living room and almost laughed when she saw the rest of him.

Easily too tall for the bathrobes that arrived daily, his muscular legs stuck out from the bottom, stretched out in front of him and exposed almost to the knee. She couldn't see how short the sleeves were because his arms were crossed, tucked against his body, but it was easy to tell that his shoulders were far too broad, the neckline open and exposing several inches of tawny, muscled chest. 

It might have been enticing, had the robe not been a soft shade of lavender. Or if his head had not been tipped back.

But Kouga, perhaps one of the most exuberant, tireless youkai she had ever met, was asleep. 

Kagome watched him for a moment, his chest rising and falling, but otherwise perfectly still. In the quiet of the room, she could hear the light exhalations as he breathed in and out, rhythmic and deep. For a moment she considered waking him. He wouldn't want to be seen in nothing but a bathrobe. And why was he wearing it, anyway?

Quickly checking the bathroom, she saw his shirt and pants hung over the curtain rod of the shower and touched them, found that they were damp. She supposed he had washed what he could of the salt and grit out of them. He would be more sensitive to the feel and especially the smell of it, explaining his unusual choice of clothing. If nothing else, he was at least secure enough in his masculinity that he could wear what was obviously a woman's robe, even if it had to be uncomfortable.

But it didn't explain his nap. Kagome doubted that he would have willingly fallen asleep for her to find like that, which must have meant he was tired. Very tired.

Resolving to let him get at least a short rest, she went back to her room and grabbed her novel, then went back to the living room and took the couch across from him. After a quick glance to make sure he was still asleep, she opened her book and began reading, quickly finding where she had left off before.

For the first several minutes she would glance over at him, curious but afraid of getting caught staring at him like some creep. But little by little the book pulled her in and tuned the real world out. It was easy to get lost in the adventure of a man who was fighting a monster, perhaps more so for the silence.

But when she heard a muffled sound, she looked back up, surprised to see Kouga twitching violently. Staring for a moment, unsure of what to do, she saw him twitch again and something half lost in sleep escaped from his throat, sounding almost like a growl. Setting her book down she got up quietly, walking over to him and reaching out slowly to shake his shoulder. 

Her hand had almost made contact when his hand shot out, faster than she could see, and grabbed her wrist. Eyes still bleary from sleep blinked open, settling on a half lidded gaze as he brought her hand to his face and inhaled deeply, immediately relaxing. His eyes closed and she felt him exhale into her palm before his nose pressed against the skin and he nuzzled it. A deep rumbling sounded in his chest, a pleased, relieved sound.

Unsure of what to say or do, she stood still, eyes locked on him as he inhaled again, breathe tickling the sensitive skin of her palm. When his eyes blinked open again, they were unfocused at first, heavy lidded and drowsy. Blushing when they drifted up from her palm to look at her face, she tried to smile but failed, confusion warring with shock warring with curiosity. In his half woken state, she saw something undefinable, strangely akin to pleasure.

And then it was gone, lost as awareness cleared his sight and widened his eyes.

“Kagome?” He asked, blushing hotly and dropping her hand as if it had suddenly bitten him.

“It looked like you were having a nightmare,” She tried, stepping back once, twice, until the back of her knees hit the couch. Quickly sitting down, she brought her legs beneath her and hugged the small couch pillow, needing some sort of shield between herself and the newly awakened Kouga, who didn't seem to be aware of what he had done at all.

“I didn't mean to fall asleep,” He muttered, blushing when he looked down and remembered what he was wearing. Uttering a quiet oath he stood and made for the bathroom, leaving her alone in the living room. The bathroom door closed quietly and she looked down at her palm, still feeling the warmth of his breath. It still tingled lightly, and she rubbed her fingers over it, remembering the light tickle as he had exhaled into it and the way he had inhaled, as if drinking in her scent.

When the door opened again she was scrambling for her book, determined not to let on that the strange gesture had affected her, if he even remembered what he had done to begin with.

“Where is everyone?” He rumbled, looking rumpled in his still damp clothes, his hair almost dry and hanging in a heavy curtain over his shoulders. “Was I out long?”

“Only for an hour or so,” She offered. “And I don't know. They should have been back by now, but they haven't called.”

“Idiots,” He muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I've got to get back to Hayate and go over a last minute run through. Here,” He told her, pulling a card from his pocket. “It's the key to my room. I don't know when I'll be back tomorrow, just in case.”

She accepted the card, not moving to stand. Still off balance from what his sleeping self had done, she was having trouble untying her tongue and getting it to work. He pulled on his jacket and grabbed his helmet, looking down at it for a moment before giving her a lopsided smile.

“Umm, thanks for letting me catch some sleep, I didn't mean to just pass out on you.”

“It's fine. If you need it you need it,” She replied, waving it off as if nothing strange had occurred. “I'd rather you be rested before you race.”

“I'm fine,” He protested, but began walking for the door, looking uncomfortable. “I'll see you tomorrow, maybe we can grab some dinner.”

And with that he was gone, leaving her alone with the key card and the strange feeling in her palm. Once she was sure that he had left, she looked back down at her palm, wondering if, in a half waking state, he had accidentally let some of his youki slip into the touch. 

When her friends arrived, she was reading her novel, using the key card as a bookmark, and occasionally rubbing her fingers over the flesh of her palm.


	7. Chapter 7

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 7  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~

She packed a small bag and grabbed her helmet and jacket, stomach fluttering nervously as she went over everything in her head a second time.

Clothes?

Check.

Key card?

Check.

Book?

Check.

Common sense?

Crap.

“It's just-just-,” She muttered, trying to figure out a word for it. Since the day had started her friends had all been as excited as she was. But the closer evening got, the more her excitement turned to anxiety. And now Yuka was shouting at her to hurry up, because they were already running late. As if a time had been set.

“Coming,” She shouted, shouldering the bag and clutching her helmet to her chest, jacket over her arm, stiff and awkward. Pausing to go over her mental list again, she gave up halfway through, making a disgusted sound and rushing from her room.

The others seemed as jittery and excited as she was, each showing some sign of fidgeting as they rushed from the room, bags in hand and the door to their suite slamming behind them. Yuka hit the button for the elevator again and again, making frustrated noises as she did so.

“Yuka, the race isn't until tomorrow,” Kagome pointed out when her friend got in and quickly began mashing the button for the lobby.

“I know,” Yuka said, looking sullen but removing her hand from the button as the doors closed.

It was an almost palpable feeling, the frustration, when they had to stop twice more to let on other hotel guests, each of whom looked thoroughly taken aback at the dour expressions that greeted them. Kagome however, did not glower, she was too busy going through everything in her head. For several tense seconds she considered saying they needed to go back and get blankets before she discarded the idea as ludicrous.

'Just nervous, just nervous,' She kept muttering in the privacy of her own head. The others chattered, trying to pull her into conversation. But their own nervousness -and why they were nervous, she couldn't imagine- showed through, topics jumping at random and their voices pitched unevenly. When they finally got to the car she told herself that she did not need something to hold onto, even though she was reluctant to put the helmet in the trunk before getting in.

“Have you told him yet?” Ayumi asked, not for the first time since the night before.

“Told him what?”

“That you like him,” The other girl said, as if it was obvious.

“No,” She muttered, thinking back to the night before and what he had done.

“You haven't told him yet?” Yuka fairly shrieked, the car swerving when she turned her head around to glare at Kagome.

“Why are you guys so set on me telling him?” Kagome retorted defensively, unable to explain to her friends that she and Kouga had history, that he was different, and that he was probably being no more affectionate than wolf youkai were to people they had claimed as friends or pack.

“Because you like him and he obviously likes you,” Eri told her firmly.

“He doesn't-”

“He likes you Kagome.”

The rest of the car ride was nothing but her friends telling her that she was being blind and not looking at the signs, and she argued again and again that they were friends. By the time they reached the hotel she was more than willing to pull her hair out, and it was only sheer luck that the parking lot was crowded with bikes and trucks, diverting attention from her dilemma to the possibility of finding a spot to park.

Once they finally had, she was grateful to get out of the car and grab her things. Feeling strangely shy, she slowed as she got to the stairs and began walking up. Remembering vaguely where his room was, she searched door numbers until she got to 213.

She hesitated.

“Didn't he give you a key?” Ayumi asked. She waved it in response.

“You didn't forget the room number did you?” Yuka demanded.

“No,” She muttered. But there was something strange about going to his hotel and into his room. Blowing her bangs out of her face with a frustrated sound, she slid the key through the lock and opened the door.

“Wha-”

Kouga stopped, eyes widening.

For a moment they were both paralyzed, staring at each other.

There was a lot to stare at, at least for her.

“I'm sorry!” She shouted, slamming the door back into place.

A titter escaped behind her, and then another, and another. Red faced, she turned to her friends, all of whom were blushing and covering their mouths with their hands.

“Real mature,” She muttered.

“We're not the ones who stood there gawking.”

Kagome doubted it.

“Well, feel lucky, not every girls gets a preview of-”

“Will you stop? It's not like that,” She muttered, still blushing and trying not to think about a very naked Kouga still wet from the shower.

“After that you're still-”

“That's not the point,” She retorted hotly.

The door behind her opened and whatever she had been about to say promptly fled her mind.

“I'm sorry, I thought-” He started.

“That we would knock, like we should have,” She interrupted, turning and trying to look unaffected. “I thought you would be back late, and with the parking lot full of bikes we didn't see yours,” She explained. He nodded, cheeks still dusted a light red.

“Got done early today,” He said, still standing in the doorway. “Qualifying was over pretty quickly. I've got the second spot in the grid.”

“The grid?” Eri asked.

“It's starting places. Umm, come on in,” He told them, stepping back into the room and away from the door, as if he'd just realized that they had been waiting.

The room itself was neat, almost as if it hadn't been touched. The bed was slightly rumpled and there were three large duffel bags against a wall, but otherwise there was little sign that anyone had been staying there.

“The guys were grabbing a quick shower, hot as shit out there today,” He added. “Most of the riders here are already at the pool, if you want to go join the party.”

“Good thing we brought bathing suits,” Yuka sing songed, voiced still pitched as she tried to smother a giggle beneath her words.

Kagome hoped her friend had brought a more modest swimsuit and not the revealing black thing that was supposedly a bathing suit.

“Here's a key, they've already got their stuff shifted to one room,” He said, grabbing a card from his nightstand and handing it to Yuka, who accepted it and was out the door, dragging Eri behind.

“I'll just go with them,” Ayumi said, smiling nervously before walking –almost skipping, Kagome noted sourly- out the door and letting it close behind her.

“Because they couldn't be anymore obvious,” She muttered, setting her things down near the door.

“I'm sorry about that, I didn't hear you, everything's been so loud since the others showed up-”

“I should have knocked,” She stated again. “My fault.”

“We had that conversation didn't we?” He asked, obviously steering the conversation away from the topic.

“You said if I kept apologizing,” She reminded him, latching onto the change like a lifeline.

“That sounded like an apology.”

“It wasn't,” She retorted, bending to go through her bag. She pulled out her swimsuit and stood, giving him a haughty glare. “I was just trying to explain that I wouldn't normally burst into someone's room,” She added primly before walking over to the bathroom and closing the door.

The room was still filled with steam and the mirror had fogged over, reflecting only a dim, blurry shape as she walked in. A pair of pants and a shirt lay in a heap on the floor, and she dropped her clothes next to them as she undressed and put on her suit. Looking for a towel she saw none except for one hanging limply over the rack, still damp from being used.

Feeling naked despite the modest cut of her suit, she pulled her shirt back on and looked to the mirror, wiping it down and muttering to herself. She looked ridiculous and shy, and she told herself she was neither of those things. Pulling the shirt off, she searched her pants pocket for a ponytail holder and pulled her hair up into a messy bun.

When she stepped out, he was in his baggy black trunks, damp hair still falling down his shoulders.

“You ready?” He asked. She nodded, following him out. Her friends were already halfway down the stairs, and she called out to them, feeling slightly better now that she would be in their presence and hopefully the presence of a large crowd.

When they walked into the pool area however, she wished for her shirt again.

Some of the racers, at least she supposed some of them were racers, were scattered everywhere, but there were more men that could be in the race and so many women, most of which were wearing swimsuits that were made similar to Yuka's and Eri's, that she felt plain, almost dowdy.

The minute they were spotted however, several of those women were walking their way, shouting Kouga's other name.

“Yuuma!” One breathed, a beautiful woman that looked as if she could have been a runway model. “It's so good to see you-”

“Have you met my girlfriend?” Kouga asked, throwing an arm around Kagome's shoulder and pulling her close.

Wait.

What?

“Your girlfriend?” The model asked flatly, eyes only flicking to Kagome for a brief, dismissive moment before swinging back to Kouga's face.

“She came in all the way from Tokyo,” He explained.

“You never told me you had a girlfriend,” The woman pouted.

“Kagome and I go way back,” He chuckled. “Before I even got a bike.”

Lie. Truth. Truth. Truth.

“Highschool sweethearts?” The woman asked, brow raised. Obviously she either didn't believe the act or she didn't think much of their 'relationship'.

Suddenly Kagome didn't like her very much.

“Not really, we were friends back then, but he did try,” She added with a sly smile, seeing his own smile widen. “I do believe back then the battle cry was 'my woman'. He's gotten better since then,” She added, still not looking at the woman. A chuckle escaped, a warm sound that made her want to cuddle deeper into his one armed embrace, and given the circumstances, she felt she was allowed to. After all, he had started it.

“I see.”

Whether she believed it or not, the woman walked away, she she looked up at Kouga, who had the look of a man that had barely escaped a tiger with his life.

“I'm guessing you know her,” She stated quietly, just loudly enough for him to hear.

“Please do not leave me alone with these people,” He muttered.

And for the first time she realized that while he loved his motorcycle, it wasn't just the track that he found off-putting about racing. She tried to get to the pool, just to sit at the side, but in the twenty feet it took to get there, they were stopped no less than seven times. Twice by what she assumed were other riders, once by a teenager that acted as if he was meeting a personal hero, and she lost track of the women that kept coming over to talk to him.

By the time they sat down and she dangled her legs in the cold water, she was sure an hour had passed.

“You don't seem to like this,” She observed, blushing when he sat behind her and his legs dangled on each side of her own. His tawny skin wavered and rippled next to the pale flesh off her calves beneath the water, and she tried to focus on the image instead of how his arms wrapped around her middle or how he slouched so that his chin rested on her shoulder.

“I don't. They're too loud, too fake, too goddamn pushy,” He muttered. “Most of them don't care about riding, they care about numbers or money or some other petty bullshit.”

“Spoken like a real rider,” A voice observed. Kagome turned and had to blink against the sunlight that was only partially blocked by the stranger.

“Muteki,” Kouga greeted.

“Yuuma,” He replied, sitting down next to them, but crossing his legs instead of draping them over the ledge and into the pool. “And who is this beauty?”

“My girlfriend, Kagome,” Kouga said, not without a hint of warning, his arms tightening around Kagome's middle. Forcing herself to relax after the unexpected gesture, she leaned back into him, hoping she projected the image of a content, if curious, girlfriend.

“Easy, just curious,” Muteki laughed, resting his weight on his palms as he stared at the overcrowded pool. A sort of wrestling match had erupted, women in small bikinis and monokinis on men's shoulders grappling at one another. Laughter and shouting echoed through the area, mixing with the sound of splashing and indignant screeching of the women as they fell into the water and splashed others.

“Muteki placed ahead of me on the grid,” Kouga explained.

“You held back,” Muteki retorted quickly, accusingly. Kouga scoffed, but she felt his arms tighten around her minutely. Muteki stared at them for a moment, and though she knew he was staring at Kouga, she felt as if she had been put on the spot as well.

“Don't do it again. If I win, I want to know it's because I'm the best on the track,” He said, getting up and walking away.

Kouga was silent, but he had tensed, and Kagome couldn't help but ask.

“Was he telling the truth?”

Kouga nodded, but said nothing.

“Why?”

“Want to go for a walk? There's too many people here, too much noise,” He said instead, standing and offering his hand. She took it, allowing him to help her to her feet. When people tried to stop them to talk, he walked past them as if he couldn't hear them at all, and she followed, her hand still in his as they left the pool area and back up the stairs to his room.

She was more concerned about his strange silence than the fact that they were in a small room with a bed in it, or even that he was holding her hand. He seemed almost perturbed, tense and straining. When the door closed his disguise faded and he let her hand go, claws lightly grazing the dip of her palm.

“He's good, he's really good,” Kouga said, thumping onto the bed. “And he's human.”

“What's that got to do with it?” Kagome asked as she sat next to him, eyes on his profile.

“I'm a youkai. I can afford to be more reckless, to take chances humans normally won't. But for him it's win it or bin it.”

Still not understanding, she took a chance and took his hand in hers, too shy about the action to meet his gaze when he looked down at her.

“He deserves to have it. Even if he'll take chances, I'm still better. And I don't want to win. Tomorrow is more about showing off than it is about winning. People there are looking for sponsors. If Hayate hadn't asked, I wouldn't be out there. I don't need the sponsorship, I don't need to get my name out there as a jockey. I just wanted to get the bike out there, let people see it.”

“What if it's not about that for him?” She murmured quietly. When her question was met with silence, she chanced a glance up at him. He looked confused by her remark, and she looked back down at their hands, needing a mental distance from that look before she continued. Taking a measure of comfort in the fact that he hadn't pulled away, she continued.

“You're not going to race as anything except a favor. Others are racing to get noticed, to make money or show off or whatever. But maybe he's doing it for himself, and he wants to know that he wasn't handed anything. If you were in his place, wouldn't you want that assurance? An earned second instead of being given first?”

He was quiet, and when he pulled his hand away she expected him to tell her she didn't understand, that she couldn't. But when his arm draped over her shoulder and tipped her towards him, she let out a relieved sigh and relaxed.

“You're too smart,” He snorted.

“Someone has to be.”

“Smart ass.”

“You wouldn't want me any other way,” She retorted, too late realizing what the comment had sounded like. But without missing a beat he was chuckling and squeezing her closer to him.

“You're right. Doesn't mean I'm not going to give you shit for it.”

“Then promise you'll do your best tomorrow. If for no other reason than you wouldn't want something handed to you. Alright?”

“I promise,” He said, nodding as he spoke. “Do I get anything if I win?” He asked, voice hinting at mirth, changing the tone of the conversation. She wondered if he was really going to give it his all, and decided to trust him.

“Besides a trophy?”

He made a noise that hinted at contempt.

“I don't care about trophies.”

“Flowers?”

“Do I look like a woman?”

“Money?”

“Got enough of that, I'll get more once people see the new bike in action.”

“Keys to the city?”

“How about not?”

“Wine, women and song?” She snorted, the suggestion rhetorical.

“I can deal with that,” He chuckled.

“Like that one from the pool?” She asked, unable to contain her mirth when his grin turned to a frown and he shuddered theatrically.

“Not funny.”

“But she seemed like she'd be rather amenable to it,” She went on, barely able to keep from laughing, her chest tightening with the effort to hold it in. “I'm pretty sure we could get her and some of those other-”

The arm that had been around her shoulder moved until his hand was covering her mouth, and his flat look was enough to shatter her control and send her into peals of delighted laughter. Even though he looked amused after a moment, he didn't move his hand, muffling the sounds that escaped.

“You'd really throw me to them?” He asked, smirk tilting up one side of his mouth as he let his hand drop. She was quiet for a moment, trying to calm her breathing and fill her lungs after her almost spastic giggle fit. Wiping her eyes, she inhaled deeply and looked up at him, and summoned every ounce of determination and willpower she possessed.

“Yes,” Kagome said, in the most serious voice she could muster. And given his expression when she said it, she realized her ruse had worked.

“I thought Naraku was evil,” He muttered.

“Oh come on,” She muttered, smacking his chest lightly with the back of her hand. “What do you take me for anyway? Some sort of masochist? There's no way I'd subject myself to watching women like that fawn all over you.”

“You-” He started, then stopped, eyes narrowing and a smirk growing on his features.

“Me, what?” She asked, feeling the faint thrumming of warning before it happened.

The zap was annoying, but nothing more painful than that, and she stared at him, face a mask of indignant shock. Growling once, she let her energy flare, hoping it reached out to his arm. He yelped, leaning away from her and shaking his arm, eyes narrowing on her as his hand came up to rub his bicep.

“Smart ass _and_ a pain in the ass.”

“Well if I'm that annoying,” She sighed dramatically, shrugging to emphasize her point before standing. She had only made it two steps away from the door before he was tugging her back, pulling hard enough that she fell into him, breathless laughter echoing in the small room as he growled impatiently.

“Crazy female,” He muttered, falling back and holding onto her, forcing her to lay back with him.

It occurred to her then, that she was laying on a bed with him, and that they were both barely wearing anything. She could feel warm, smooth skin and muscle against her own, a strangely charged, thrilling sensation. Despite herself a delicate shiver ran down her spine, light but still noticeable, especially to him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, immediately stilling.

“Yeah, fine,” She murmured, grateful he couldn't see her face, which felt ready to burst into flame at any moment. He shifted and turned, propping himself on his elbow to look down at her.

“You sure? You're-”

“Fine.”

“We had a talk about that word.”

She stuck out her tongue childishly, ignoring the strange grumbling noise he made before letting himself fall back to the bed.

Silence descended, although it wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Unsure what to make of it, she felt her blush fade as she stared at the ceiling. Light sounds became apparent, like the sound of his breathing in counterpoint to her own. His arm under her back shifted until his hand brushed against her side lightly. When she didn't move, his hand moved, rested over the dipped curve lightly.

It was intentional, and for a moment she felt a trill of excitement, the contact foreign and welcome, strange but provoking, in a way. Then she quickly slammed a lid on those feelings, remembered what he had said before about wolf tribe customs. Familiar touching probably wasn't uncommon, and she had, no matter how many centuries before, been accepted as pack.

She continued staring at the ceiling, noticing that his hand stayed put, making no move to attempt further contact or shift away. Wondering what he was thinking, she tried to grasp for something, anything to say that would distract her from the slight tickle of his fingers against her skin.

“Do your arms fall asleep or anything, since you're a youkai?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

“Nope.”

She turned her head and glared at him playfully before huffing and rolling her eyes.

“You're impossible.”

“Maybe.”

“You ready to go back down?”

“Not really,” He said, not even turning to look at her when he said it. “By the way, what's your favorite color?”

“Purple,” She admitted.

“Purple?”

“Mhmm. Why?”

“Just curious.”

“Liar.”

“Possibly.”

The silence lost it's edge and settled back into something comfortable, familiar. More relaxed now, she allowed her thoughts to drift through various thoughts, steadfastly trying to ignore the light contact made on her side. But even with a hundred things to think about, she couldn't ignore it forever, and eventually she gave up trying at all.

“We should probably head back down,” She finally sighed.

“Why?” He groaned, almost petulantly.

“Because they'll assume we're doing things we're not.”

“Good.”

“What?!?”

“Those crazy women will leave me alone,” He muttered, face scrunching up in distaste.

“And my crazy friends won't,” She reminded him, trying to ignore the embarrassed, almost mortified hurt that his easy dismissal had caused.

“They'll listen if you explain-”

“No, they won't,” She rebutted, not giving him a chance to finish. “They won't listen, and I'm positive I'll never hear the end of it.”

“Fine,” He muttered, looking distinctly unhappy as he got up. She moved, freeing his arm. He was already back to his human guise when she turned to look at him, and she felt bad for him, that he was enduring so much to help a friend.

“We could always go for a ride,” She offered.

And she knew that it was the right thing to say, because the glower vanished and he was smiling again, looking as if she had given him a gift instead of suggesting something simple.

“I'll go let the others know we're heading out, and we'll meet them for dinner somewhere,” He said, looking excited and pleased as he walked past her, pausing for a moment as if he was going to say something, then shaking his head and continuing on.

Wondering what it was he had been about to say, she shook her head and walked back to the bathroom, quickly pulling on her pants and shirt, leaving her swimsuit on under it, unsure if they would end up back at the beach or not.

When he came back in, she was pulling on her shoes and he closed the door so forcefully it slammed, looking more than eager to be gone. He rushed past, grabbing a pair of jeans and closing the door to the bathroom with barely a word. Ignoring his abrupt behavior, she walked over to her bag and was grabbing her jacket when a knock sounded on the door.

Going over and opening it, she had been expecting one of her friends. Not the woman from the pool that had been so interested in Kouga and unimpressed with her.

“Hi,” The woman started.

“Can I help you?”

“I was just here to talk to Yuuma,” She began.

“He's getting dressed.”

She didn't like the woman, and she knew that even had she not been interested in Kouga, she would have still disliked the woman. Her bathing suit was tiny and her hair, bleached to a shade of blonde that reminded Kagome of urine instead of something from a fashion magazine, looked hair sprayed into place. As it was, she did admit she liked Kouga, and she was willing to admit that she was, dare she say it, territorial?

“Look, he came back down to the pool looking excited and then ignored everyone-” The woman tried again, voice flat.

“Because we're going for a ride,” Kagome interrupted. “We wanted some peace and quiet away from the crowd.”

The bathroom door opened and she turned, watching Kouga step out in nothing but his jeans. His disguise as Yuuma was thankfully in place, but his torso was bare and the jeans hung low on his hips, exposing the muscled lines of his stomach and the thin line of hair she was having a damnably hard time ignoring.

“Kagome?” He asked.

She didn't blink, didn't apologize, in fact, didn't even care that she was being rude.

“We're busy,” She told the blonde before shutting the door in her face.

For a moment there was utter silence, then the sound of angry screeching on the other side of the door. Kagome turned, surprised to see Kouga holding a hand over his mouth. Despite that, she was still able to see his eyes, which were narrowed and shining merrily.

Another indistinct sound and then a thump on the door and he was striding across the room and pulling her into a hug, twirling her and he laughed uproariously, not even trying to hide his mirth.

“Put me down,” She tried, unable to stop her own laughter.

“No, that was amazing and you're going to let me enjoy it. That crazy bitch has been after me for almost a year now. Oh, you're fantastic and wonderful, and I owe you so big,” He said, squeezing her once and continuing to laugh.

She was not going to admit that the woman's predatory gaze had inspired such actions, it was easier to let him believe that she was acting for his benefit. But she needed a little bit of distance, because he still hadn't donned and shirt and she could feel what she was sure was every muscle above the waist as he held her.

After a moment his laughter finally quieted and he let her slide down. She became uncomfortably aware of how close they were and stepped away quickly, laughing off the sudden awkward tension.

“Put on a shirt, heathen,” She joked, going to grab her jacket.

“Once a wolf, always a wolf,” He shot back, walking over to his bag. Kagome snuck a glance while he was shrugging a shirt on and told herself that she was being stupid for acting so childishly. Quickly shrugging her jacket on and zipping it up, she reached for her helmet and tried to ignore what felt like eyes boring into her back as she straightened.

“Seriously, thanks. That woman is crazy.”

“No problem,” She answered blithely, opening the door again and half hoping the bleach blonde was still there. She wasn't, and when Kouga stepped out, helmet in hand, she wasn't so sure going for a ride with him was such a good idea anymore. The closeness of the day and the charade, despite it's brevity, lingered.

She had enjoyed the closeness, and she was unsure of how to put distance between herself and the youkai without tipping off that she was doing it because what he probably saw as normal, wolfish affection felt like flirting to her.

“I told the others we'd meet them in an hour or so at the diner. Come on,” He urged, tilting his head in the direction of the stairs. She followed, taking each step much more slowly than him. He turned back, his smirk back in place.

“If you don't hurry up I'm going to carry you to the bike,” He threatened.

“Fine, fine,” She muttered, faking exasperation. With the declaration she quickened her pace, following him through the sea of cars and motorcycles until they stopped where he and Ginta and Hakkaku had parked their bikes, sharing one space in the crowded lot. He kicked back the stand and wheeled it out before throwing his leg over and mounting it.

“Come on,” He urged again. She grabbed his shoulder to pull herself up and realized that she was finding it easier to get on, that the position wasn't so awkward. Marveling at the difference a few days made, she pulled on her helmet and wrapped her arms around his waist, waiting for the inevitable vibrating thrum of the engine to begin.

When it did, she held a little tighter, looking at the world as the bike shot forward. Knowing he was anxious, that he was perhaps even dreading the next day, she held fast, expecting him to go as fast as he could as soon as he could.

But he surprised her by keeping an almost leisurely pace as they navigated through traffic. Still more people were pouring into the area, perhaps for the race the next day, and she watched them pause and point at her and Kouga, or maybe the bike. Never had she felt so self conscious, noticing the people speaking, although she could hear nothing.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the feel of the bike, on the air around them and the sun beating down on them. She thought of how it felt to be hugging Kouga and clinging to him for safety. Despite the difference in transport, she found it ironic that once again she was holding onto him to keep from falling and being dashed on on the rocks, or pavement, as the case of her current era was.

Once they moved away from the inner workings of the city, he accelerated, and she used the excuse to hold to him tighter, wondering all the while if she should tell him about her growing crush. Five hundred years ago he had been like her, awkward and clumsy. He wasn't anymore, at least not often. He seemed so much older now, so much more mature. Her own quickly growing infatuation might seem like nothing more than it was, a girlish crush, to someone like him. If he felt that way, it would be humiliating, she had no trouble admitting that to herself.

But if she got it out of the way, especially soon, she would get over it and they could be normal friends. The idea of dealing with another crush, one that she bottled up at all costs, was as intimidating, if not more so, than telling him the truth.

It was with that scenario clear in her mind, admittedly made even more dreadful by her memories of the similarities to her teenage crush on Inu Yasha, that she decided she would tell him. Although she would wait, just a little bit longer. With the way he was speeding down the road, she knew he was anxious, and she didn't want to do anything, say anything, that might prove to distract him from the race.

The tires of the bike ate up the distance, and he took off roads, well paved but mostly deserted. They rarely hit a red light and what few cars they encountered he smoothly navigated around, pulling in front of and leaving behind.

When he stopped and the bike puttered out beneath her, she opened her eyes again and was surprised to see that they were parking in front of a small diner. It hadn't felt like an hour had passed, and she was sad to see the ride end. But she could also see Ginta and Hakkaku's motorcycles parked near the entrance, and knew that they had to go in, even if she wasn’t entirely sure she could face Kouga in the wake of her decision.

“You alright?” He asked, picking up on her mood as he dismounted the bike and pulled his helmet off. She was already trying to slide off of the bike when his hands spanned her waist and helped to keep her from stumbling backwards in her attempt.

“I'm alright, just thinking,” She murmured quietly, tucking her helmet under her arm as she headed for the door.

“What about?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Still worried?” He asked, falling into step beside her.

“No.”

“You're worried about something,” He retorted, obviously not believing her. “If it's about the race, I told you, I don't spill.”

“Doumen did,” She pointed out.

“Doumen is an idiot.”

They were quiet as they got to the door, and she was thankful he had assumed something other than the truth. While she was worried about him, she trusted him not to take foolish chances. The thought that other riders might try to harm him occurred to her, but if the purpose of the race was too look good and gain sponsorships, she highly doubted anyone was going to do something like that.

When they walked in a booth was already filled with their friends, and sliding in proved a tight fit, one that had their arms brushing against each other with every movement. Her friends all asked about the race, how things would work and congratulating him on placing in second position. Questions flew and even Yuka complained about how some of the women from the pool had been acting.

Throughout their dinner laughter exploded and Ginta and Hakkaku proved themselves adept at impersonations, making her forget her troubles and join in. They settled into light conversation and stories with ease, as if they had always been a group of friends. Kagome was surprised, given Yuka's dislike of Kouga, at least initially, but pleased none the less.

Until her middle school 'love life' came up.

“I remember when you had, like, four guys after you at once,” Eri recalled, smiling. “Inu Yasha, Hojo, and let me think, I can't remember, you said there was a brother and another guy, what were their names?”

“Brother?” Kouga choked, giving her a startled glance.

“No, no he was not after me,” She muttered, groaning into her hands. “He hated me.”

“He pretty much hated everyone if I remember correctly,” Kouga snorted. “And I'm pretty sure he still does. So what about this other guy?”

“We told her she should think about it, since he brought her flowers and wasn't a two timing jerk,” Yuka stated firmly.

“Flowers?” Kouga asked, eyes widening.

She tried not to remember the time he had brought her flowers, blushing and vaguely awkward. In fact, she tried not to think about anything but willing a hole to open up beneath her so that she could disappear.

“Say, didn't you get her flowers?” Ginta asked slyly.

“I'm pretty sure he did. Made Inu Yasha mad,” Hakkaku added.

“I remember how embarrassed he was when he had them,” Ginta told the other girls.

“Didn’t want anyone to know he had a soft spot,” Hakkaku smirked.

“Alright, that's enough,” Kouga muttered, a light blush staining his tan skin. Kagome peeked a glance up at him, shocked to see that he looked awkward, as if the memory was more than just embarrassing, it was mortifying.

“You were the other guy?” Eri almost shrieked, eyes widening.

“Can I borrow your bike?” Kagome asked, refusing to look at him again.

“You don't know how to drive it, you'd kill yourself.”

“That could be the point.”

“You told them about me?”

“Ranted.”

“You ranted about me?” He sounded even more surprised, even a little hurt, and she looked up at him again, too exasperated to feel badly for what had happened three years before.

“If you recall, circumstances at the time were not exactly conducive to relationships or flirting. I was stuck between an almost constantly irate idiot that had issues differentiating between me and his ex, and a pervert that couldn't keep his hands or his offers to himself.”

“I never got why you didn't just give up and go with Hojo,” Yuka admitted. “Although after meeting Yuuma and Inu Yasha, I can understand. He would have been too boring.”

“Is there any way we can stop discussing adolescent love lives?” She finally asked.

“Thank you,” Kouga muttered.

The topic veered away from their past, and she chose to not look at him for the remainder of dinner, which stretched well into the night. The diner, open twenty four hours, had ice cream, something the girls all availed themselves of. Kagome was shocked to see Ayumi sharing her banana split with both Ginta and Hakkaku, and Yuka and Eri both giggled and smiled slyly at one another.

She had a spoonful of her parfait halfway to her mouth when, quick as an arrow, it was in Kouga's mouth and he was giving her a wolfish grin.

Feigning exasperation, she pulled at the spoon and found that he was refusing to let go. Immediately she let go and shrugged her shoulders, then grabbed the parfait glass and, aping a dog, swiped her tongue along the top, getting a glob of ice cream and chocolate sauce on her tongue before swallowing and smiling cheekily at him.

“You know, I think I'll keep this,” He said around the spoon, eyes dancing merrily. Determined not to give in to his prodding, she nodded and continued, ignoring him and talking to her friends as they tried to figure out plans for after the race.

It wasn't until most of it was gone that she had to tip her glass back, and when she sat it down she heard first one giggle, and then another.

Feeling silly, she crossed her eyes and tried to reach the spot of ice cream on her nose, making her friends laugh even harder.

“Your face might stick that way,” Kouga chuckled. She turned to him, eyes still crossed and tongue reaching up, futilely trying to get the smear of ice cream.

“Smough?” She asked, mangling the word by refusing to put her tongue back in her mouth. For a second all she saw was a blur before she felt something warm and wet on her nose.

For a minute no one said anything, her eyes uncrossing as she saw Kouga pull away, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Ugh, drool,” She muttered, wiping her nose clean as she tried to write off what he had just done.

“I don't drool.”

“Could'a fooled me,” She retorted, trying to keep herself from blushing and only making it worse.

“You two are idiots,” Yuka laughed. Kagome shot her friend a dirty glare as Eri waved for the check. Kouga demanded that he let him pay it and they were filing out of the restaurant. For a moment she was tempted to join her friends in their car, but Yuka was already waving goodbye and Ayumi was quick to hop on Ginta's bike as it started. When Kouga finished paying and walked out, she was alone in the parking lot, holding her helmet and feeling a little lost and more than a little confused.

“Look, I'm sorry if I went too far back there,” He started.

“It's fine,” She murmured, already trying to get on his motorcycle and failing. His hands gripped her waist and helped her up, making her feel smaller than she already did.

“I know your friends are giving you a lot of shit, I didn't mean to make it worse.”

“It's alright,” She told him, looking up and forcing a smile even though she still had the urge to rub her nose. “Most people aren't used to people showing affection and they don't know you're a wolf youkai. They wouldn't understand, but it's alright.”

For a moment he looked utterly confused and lost, as if she had spoken in another language. Then he shook his head and leaned down. For a breathless, almost panicked moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. But he paused before their lips touched, and his tongue darted out, the tip touching her nose before he was pulling back and shaking his head.

“Strange female.”

She tugged on her helmet to hide her blush, glad for the shield that kept her hand from wandering to her face. He straddled the bike and leaned forward, and she wrapped her arms around his waist almost reluctantly, unsure why he had said what he said, or why he had done what he had done. Trying to explain it logically in her own head, she could only assume that it was some sort of familiarity in wolf packs, something she would have to talk to him about after the race.

When they got back to the hotel, she used his body to slip off of the bike and walked ahead of him, tugging off her helmet as she jogged up the stairs.

“Hey,” He called out, making her stop even though she really didn't want to.

“Yeah?”

“I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Of course,” She chimed brightly, smiling as widely as she could. He nodded, giving her a crooked sort of half smile. It was another flash of uncertainty, a side of him she wasn't used to seeing, and would probably never be able to correlate to the Kouga she had known. But, feeling badly for acting as if she had wanted to flee his presence -and she wouldn't lie, she desperately needed space before she did or said something that might give away her crush- she walked back down two steps and hugged him, taking care to keep her face tilted down.

“You're going to win, and everyone is going to see your motorcycle and want it,” She announced before pulling back and giving him another smile, this one a little less fake, a little less forced than the one before.

“Thanks,” He said, nodding once and watching her as she jogged up the stairs before following. She waved goodbye, not quite trusting her voice, and slipped into his room, closing the door quickly and quietly.

Only to be faced by her grinning friend, who had already changed into her pajamas.

“Kagome-”

“Please don't,” She sighed, walking over to her bag and dropping her helmet. She quickly changed into her favorite purple pajama bottoms, chosen specifically for their lack of style, and a tank top before going and falling onto the bed.

“You should tell him.”

“Tell him what?” She asked, hoping her friend would drop the subject.

A pillow thumped onto her face and when Ayumi pulled it away, she was glaring at her, a strange behavior for the once meek girl that Kagome was used to interacting with.

“You two are acting so stupid. It's obvious you like each other and it's like you're both waiting for the other to make the first move. If you keep doing this you're going to end up missing out.”

“He doesn't-”

“He does. Trust me, he does. It's just as obvious you like him.”

“Ayumi-”

“Just think about it, okay?” Her friend asked, voice softening. “Promise?”

“Fine,” Kagome promised, sighing as she got up and pulled the blanket back before lying down. The moment she snuggled into the cover she realized two things.

One, that she was sleeping in the bed Kouga slept in. The second realization was that it smelled like him, and she was almost positive she was using his pillow. The scent that had lingered on his shirt before was stronger on the pillow and the blanket, and she turned onto her back, determined not to breathe it in.

“I am an idiot,” She muttered.

“Only if you don't tell him,” Her friend chuckled before turning off the light.

~*~

She mumbled blearily, feeling his presence more than seeing him. In the haze of sleep she felt a brush of warmth over her cheek, a light exhalation of breath. She cuddled deeper into the blanket, inhaling the sharp, earthy smell that had embedded in it and the pillow she was hugging.

“Wish me luck,” He whispered quietly, so much so that she could barely hear it. Blinking again, she looked up into his curiously pale eyes and smiled sleepily.

“Good luck,” She murmured tiredly, shifting and lifting her head. His hand stroked her hair lightly, and she would swear she heard him say something that was half lost in a rumbling sound. Mumbling something even she didn't understand, she turned her face into his palm and nuzzled her nose against the surface, inhaling and exhaling lightly against it.

“Be safe,” She mumbled, closing her eyes and turning her cheek back to his palm and savoring it's warmth and the ridged, rough calluses.

“I will,” He promised quietly. She nodded, satisfied with his answer, and let her head drop back down to the pillow. The blankets came back up around her neck and she buried her face in the pillow, inhaling again before falling back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 8  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~

The angry beeping of an alarm clock shattered the pleasant dream and forced her to sit up, eyes looking around wildly. Her first reflex was to rub palm her face, remembering the phantom warmth, eyes wide. Her next was to look around the room.

It didn't look disturbed, which meant she had been dreaming. Groaning, she fell back into the pillows, immediately surrounded by his scent. Sleeping in his bed and inhaling his scent with every breath had obviously messed with her dreams, otherwise she wouldn't have dreamed about something so...Intimate.

She needed to tell him. Probably that night, if feasible. It might make things uncomfortable, but she could get over her crush and move on. Then she wouldn't dream about him being sweet and treating her like something other than a friend.

“Are you alright?” Ayumi asked through a yawn.

“Fine,” Kagome groaned again.

“You're cuddling his pillow,” Ayumi pointed out. Kagome looked down and saw that she had indeed grabbed his pillow and was pretty much face first in it. Shoving it away she threw the covers back and walked over to her bag.

“I'm going to tell him,” She finally said, rooting through her bag for her clothes. Her hat was still in Ayumi's car, but they would be taking it to the track so she wasn't overly worried. After tossing the clothes onto the bed she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste.

“You make it sound like a death sentence,” Ayumi observed, walking over to her own bag and gathering her things.

“I just want to get it out there so I can get over it. Last time I stayed quiet the whole mess with Inu Yasha happened,” Kagome sighed as she walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open. “Once I get it out he can tell me no and then I'll have to move on.”

Ayumi eyed her skeptically in the mirror. Ignoring the pointed stare Kagome began brushing her teeth, determined to have fun at the race and not think about everything that would come later that night.

“He might surprise you.”

“I doubt that,” Kagome said, or tried to. Her mouth was foaming and she had a toothbrush lodged halfway in trying to get to her molars.

“What will you do if he reciprocates?”

Because that was not a possibility, however much she might want it to be, she shrugged. What didn't need an answer didn't warrant one, at least in this instance. Thankfully Ayumi left it at that, and Kagome rinsed her mouth out and got dressed while Ayumi took her own turn in the bathroom. By the time she got out, Kagome's stomach was growling at her, demanding food.

Within minutes they were banging on the door next to theirs and Eri was answering, still looking half asleep. Yuka was just rolling out of bed, hair sticking in every direction and her eyeliner leaving dark circles beneath her eyes.

“Come on guys!” Ayumi commanded. “We're going to be late!”

It was the right thing to say, even if it had been a bit of a lie. Yuka and Eri both turned into manic bundles of energy and stumbling limbs, both vying for the bathroom. Eri won and Yuka ran to her bag, quickly going through the different outfits she had brought with her.

Kagome wasn't ecstatic about the clothing her best friend decided to wear, but it was better than some of the other outfits she had been wearing while on vacation, so she didn't complain. Once Eri came out Yuka was in the bathroom, screeching about her makeup. Kagome and Ayumi both shared light giggles as Eri panicked, going through her bag before stealing a top from Yuka's and pulling it on with a pair of shorts.

When Yuka emerged there was a good natured exchange about the theft, light teasing as Ayumi ushered them out of the room and down to the car. Ayumi's behavior only heightened her own nervous anticipation. She'd seen clips of races on the internet, but the idea of actually seeing one, and seeing Kouga in one, made her feel excited and a little afraid.

Despite his assurances, she was worried something would happen to him. More than anyone she knew that all youkai were different, and healed differently. What Doumen could survive, Kouga might not be able to. It was with an iron will that she reminded herself of the feudal era and how well he had survived then.

Except the feudal era hadn't had motorcycles and cement walls.

“Kagome, are you alright?” Ayumi asked.

“Just nervous,” She replied absentmindedly.

“It'll be fine. I'm sure he'll surprise you.”

She blinked at Ayumi, not understanding for a moment. Unfortunately, her other two friends did, and immediately descended.

“Is she going to tell him?” Eri asked, turning around in her seat and staring at Kagome with wide eyes and an excited smile.

Kagome grimaced, wishing fervently her friends had not caught on to that. It was, ironically, the last thing on her mind at that moment.

“I'm worried he'll get hurt,” She told them.

As if she had said magic words, the car went quiet and the giddy joy that had been filling it only seconds before was quashed.

“I'm sure he wouldn't race if he was inexperienced,” Ayumi told her, leaning against her for comfort. “Besides, he worked through qualifying, and the guys told me those are more aggressive than the actual race.”

“He'll be fine,” Eri and Yuka said in unison, although they were much more subdued than they had been before.

Once they had arrived, it was difficult to find a place to park, worse than even at the hotel. Almost worried they would miss the start of the race, Kagome was tempted to get out and go ahead of them, stopped only by the fact that they were on a list, and her friends would probably have to be with her to get in. After a short eternity Yuka finally found a spot and turned to the back seat, brows furrowed.

“You should be excited. He'll want you to cheer for him.”

“He wouldn't be able to hear it,” Kagome sighed, opening the door.

“Doesn't matter, he'd still want you to,” Eri said with a firm finality. Kagome nodded, getting out and putting her wide brimmed hat on. She felt a sense of guilt for overshadowing her friend's excitement with her own worry, but not guilty enough to refuse when Ayumi and Eri grabbed each of her hand's, Yuka taking Eri's as they walked through the parking lot and towards the ticket booths. Kagome pulled out her id card and showed it to the teller, surprised when they were each given bright badges on lanyards, the bright yellow letters VIP glaringly obvious.

There were others behind them waiting to get in, so Kagome didn't have time to ask where they were supposed to be sitting. However, someone in dark clothing and with a bright yellow badge marked 'security' noticed her confusion and directed her group to a flight of stairs and waved to where they would be sitting. It was right next to the track, and she called out her thanks as he walked away at a fast clip.

Nervous tension knotted in her stomach as they sat on the bleachers. The wall and angle of their seats made it impossible to see the pit lane, although she realized she wasn't far from where she had sat the first time she had come to the track. Her friends, quiet and supportive, sat close to her and continued holding her hands even as the crowd grew louder and more people filled the bleachers.

When a voice boomed clearly that the race was close to starting, Kagome leaned forward, lower lip between her teeth.

“He'll be fine,” Ayumi promised.

“He's going to win,” Eri added with a wink. “Don't forget to cheer.”

In five minutes the race had started, and she had completely forgotten her friends and the crowd around her, eyes focused on the rider in blue that she knew was Kouga. Everything blurred and the vibrations of the crowd stomping and cheering thrummed through her until she was oblivious, caught up in the roar of energy created by the spectators.

Kouga wove in and out of the other riders, and she could only distantly hear the announcer talking about how much progress he was making as he went through lap after lap. Every curve he took, knees grazing the ground and bike looking dangerously close to tipping she held her breath, and every time he disappeared from view she cupped her hands over her mouth to call out his name. She glanced at the board now and again, unsurprised to see that he was ahead of everyone else each lap he made.

She cheered until her throat was raw, standing up in the seat and shouting out Kouga's name, not caring in the least that his jacket had the name Yuuma on it or that other people were shouting that name. She wasn't looking at the board anymore, or even at other racers. She was watching him speed in and out of sight, each curve a potential spill.

An announcer blared something she couldn't hear above the roar of the crowd, but she saw him pulling into the pit lane and scrambled down and ran over the walkway towards where the team was. By the time she got there he was dismounting and pulling off his helmet, face red and sweaty and his ponytail half pulled out. She leaned over the short fencing and looked down at him, her own excitement amplified when he grinned up at her.

He said something she wasn't able to hear, lost in the dissonant clash of the people behind her cheering, but Ginta was bending and cupping his hands and two seconds later Kouga's face was only inches from her own, his gloved hands holding on to the top of the fence.

“That was amazing,” She breathed, smiling like he was smiling. “No one's going to beat that!”

He nodded, smiling a strange, goofy sort of smile while she tried to breath, still winded from her cheering and sprinting to him. He braced himself on the ledge and she threw her arms around his neck, whispering her congratulations to him again and again.

It only took him turning his head a fraction to kiss her, and for the first moment she was still, breathing heavily through her nose and shocked by the warmth and fullness of his lips and the sweat on his nose and cheek. His breath exhaled through his nose, misted over her skin as his tongue darted against her upper lip. Like electricity had jolted through her, she opened her lips and his tongue swept across the seam before tangling with her own.

It wasn't her first kiss ever, but it was her first kiss in a long time, her first kiss as an adult, and the first kiss that made her hair stand on end as a shiver ran down her spine. What had been was no longer relevant, because she couldn't remember what had been or really what was. Absorbed in the feel of his lips and his gloved hand cupping the back of her head, she gave as much as she was given, feeling bereft and breathless when he finally pulled away.

The sound of cheering filtered in, and she blushed hotly, realizing that they were cheering for Yuuma. Which meant Kouga. Who was no longer on the track. They were cheering for...Them?

But his grin made it impossible not to smile in return, because he looked like a feather could knock him down off of the ledge and he wouldn't notice.

“I've never had a kiss cheered for before,” She admitted, wanting to break the silence between them.

“Me either,” He admitted. Impossibly, his grin widened even more.

“Get your ass back down here! You can make kissy faces with her after you get off the podium!” Hayate shouted, barely heard over the crowd.

“Just a damn minute,” Kouga snapped when he looked over his shoulder. He looked back at her rolling his eyes but still smiling like a loon. She felt his lips brush against hers briefly before he was bending and grabbing the ledge and dropping down.

She watched, waving when he waved at her, and ran back to her friends, knowing he would be back in the paddock soon. When she got to the bench again, she saw her friends staring at her, some with sly smiles and one in utter shock.

“They announced that you kissed!” Ayumi shouted, her shock only rivaled by her blush.

“I knew you liked him!” Yuka crowed. Eri was cheering for her, the hat Kagome had completely forgotten in hand. But it wasn't enough to dampen her spirits. She grabbed Ayumi's hand and tugged her to her feet before leading her to the pit area, their VIP badges being waved when security guards asked. When they were back down in the giant garage, she led them over to the area with Hayate's name and saw a woman standing there, brow raised in amusement.

“Can I help you?”

“I'm Kagome, we were just coming-”

“To see if Hayate and the boys were back in yet?” It'll be a bit longer, but not much. I'm Meina,” The woman introduced. Kagome tried to correlate the impression she'd gotten from Kouga with the woman standing in front of her and somewhere, things disconnected. Meina was the picture of grace, her long black hair streaked with gray at the temples and a lithe form that moved easily around the toolboxes.

“And who are your friends?”

“This is Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka,” Kagome explained. “Is it alright that we're all here-”

“It's fine,” Meina said, waving it off. “Heard the crowd out there. Hayate owes me.”

“For what?”

“I bet that Yuuma wouldn't hold off longer than two weeks, Hayate said three.”

“I don't understand,” Kagome said, feeling like she had missed something.

“It's impossible not to hear the crowd chanting for a victory kiss. I'm going to assume that was you. Hair mussed from gloves is hard to miss.”

Kagome frantically smoothed her hair down, blushing furiously. The youkai only seemed amused, and far too feline despite her human disguise.

“Hayate mentioned you're learning to ride. He's a pain in the ass, but Yuuma is a safe jockey, a safe rider. Once things have calmed down here, you're welcome to use the track, for however long your stay is.”

Kagome stammered her thanks, coloring under the female's knowing gaze. Her friends were too busy looking around and earning appraising stares to notice the awkward silence, but Kagome was painfully aware of it as Meina nodded once and walked off, obviously having decided something, although what Kagome couldn't begin to guess.

Several minutes later Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku were jogging in, eyes bright and looking hurried. Kagome heard Ayumi shout out a greeting before she felt herself swept up and twirled, racing leathers digging into her uncomfortably. Ignoring that, she looked down into the happy gaze of Kouga, who's disguise had slipped just enough to reveal twinkling blue eyes.

“Let's get the hell out of here,” He announced.

“Aren't they giving out prizes or something?” Kagome asked, staring down at him in amusement.

“Hayate can get it for me. I don't want it anyway.”

“Kouga-”

“You promised. Wine, women and song.”

“But-”

“Come on,” Ginta laughed, already pulling on his jacket. “It'll be hell to get out of here in another half hour or so. Let's get a head start.”

As if the track were burning down, she found herself being pulled behind Kouga, feeling almost like a delinquent skipping out on school as they ran past the security guards and other spectators. However, they came to a halt when Meina stepped out in front of them, brow arched in perfect imitation of Sesshoumaru's, which was something Kagome found funny, considering the species difference.

“Hayate is going to kill you for making him go up there,” Meina told them, voice seemingly apathetic, although a smirk was beginning to form. “But excuses can be made for a pretty girl,” She added after a moment of silence, leaning against the wall and gesturing for the group to go ahead.

Kouga only nodded, and Kagome followed him as he continued on the path she recognized as leading to the back parking lot where he and the others normally parked.

“Yuka's car is in the lot.”

“There are some golf carts for transporting people, we'll get them on one and meet up back at the hotel,” He muttered. “I need to get out of this fucking suit before it drives me nuts.”

“I'm in a skirt,” She tried pointing out.

“And I will keep you safe,” He told her, voice thick as they ran. Once they were finally out of the building and in the sunlight, he seemed to breathe a little more easily, although he almost groaned in exasperation when Ayumi mentioned that their jackets and helmets were in Yuka's car.

“There's one,” He muttered sullenly, waving at the man in the gold cart, who seemed disinterested even as he turned it on and drove over to them.

“We'll meet you at the car,” Kouga said, voice flat. Kagome wondered at his sudden change of mood, waving at her friends, who seemed determined to leave her alone with him, not that she could blame them after what had happened on the track. Ginta and Hakkaku, likewise, seemed more than eager to give them space, already straddling their bikes and pulling on their helmets.

“Are you alright?” She asked, confusion swamping her excitement.

“I really want to get out of here before the race is over, we've only got a few minutes, and then Hayate's going to track me down and try to make me stand on the podium. I've been enough of a show dog today,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair and striding over to his bike. He waited expectantly and she walked over, concern for his mood switching to concern for her modesty.

Her skirt was modest standing and even sitting. Not straddling.

“Do you need help?” He asked, obviously not understanding her concern. She nodded, not wanting to accidentally flash him or one of the few others in the lot. His hands gripped her waist and sat her on the seat, and she saw comprehension dawn when she swung her leg over the side and her skirt rode high up on her thighs. Positive his blush was as bright as her own, she looked down at the seat and said nothing when he got on, pulling the helmet on and turning the bike on.

Even if it was slow and he was only going through a set of gates into another parking lot, being without a helmet was strange, almost surreal after being protected each time she'd been on the bike itself. She directed him to the place where her friend had parked, grateful when she saw that Ginta and Hakkaku were already there, Ayumi pulling on her helmet before handing her the black and blue jacket and then helmet before getting on behind Ginta.

Kouga accelerated and left them behind the moment she had wrapped her arms around him, and she struggled not to scream at his sudden speed. Clinging more tightly, she wondered if he was that eager to get away or acting out of embarrassment.

Nervous tension returning, she tried to ignore her growing anxiety and held fast, eyes closed as he wove through traffic and got closer to the hotel. The closer they got, the more she worried about what would happen once they got there.

By the time he finally parked, she was a nervous bundle of manic energy, wanting to get down but afraid of exposing herself without his help, and afraid of his help because he would see her. He pulled off his helmet and she followed suit, surprised when he sat there for a moment, stiff and silent.

“I'm sorry,” She murmured quietly.

“For what?”

“You just seem frustrated.”

“I'm not frustrated with you,” He muttered, getting off of the bike and helping her down. Though she avoided his gaze, she did glance his way once and noticed that he was just as studiously avoiding looking at her. Determined to change into jeans, she slid down and began walking ahead of him, offering praises to her foresight for slipping the key card into the pocket of her skirt. He took the stairs as quickly as she did, following closely behind as she swiped the key card through. However, once they were in the room, she felt caged in, stifled. Quickly walking for her bag, she had just opened it when his hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

“Did I screw things up?” He asked bluntly.

“What?” She asked, dumbstruck by the concern and anxiety reflected in his gaze. In her determination not to look at him, she hadn't noticed his disguise slipping until Kouga the youkai stood in front of her, looking out of place in the racing leathers.

“Did I mess things up back on the track?” He asked, voice deepening.

“Why would you ask that?”

“Because it's like you've been desperate to avoid me.”

“Desperate to-No!” She snapped. “I was worried you were mad or something.”

“But you seemed nervous when I got down there, and last night you-”

“You didn't mess up,” She began. “I kissed back didn't I?”

“But-”

And because he still looked worried, and because she was hoping that she hadn't messed up, she grabbed his shoulders for balance and stood on tiptoe, brushing her lips over his quickly before retreating. Or trying to, at least. His hand cupped the back of her head and he leaned down as she lowered herself, lips slanting over hers and tongue brushing against the seam, asking silent permission.

This kiss wasn't rushed, and she tilted her head, surprised when a rumble started in his chest and ended between their lips, making hers tingle as he nipped her lower lip, tongue sweeping over it as if to soothe. Only dimly aware of the leathers beneath one hand or the other moving to cup his cheek, she inhaled raggedly when he pulled away to nuzzle her, his chest expanding as he drug in a deep breath.

Feeling lightheaded, she didn't protest when he sat and pulled her into his lap. For several minutes he said nothing, and she didn't know what to say. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply before a gusty exhale fanned over her skin, making her shudder at the unexpected flurry of sensations that accompanied it.

“I don't want to push where I'm not wanted,” He finally said, voice so quiet she barely caught the words. “I've been scared of crossing a line or doing something stupid.”

“Yuka was right,” She muttered.

“About what?” Kouga asked, voice flat as if the mere mention of her friend was enough to put him off.

“We're idiots.”

“What?” It was obviously his turn to be confused.

“I thought the touching and everything was because of pack dynamics. Tonight I- I feel so stupid,” She chuckled. “I was going to tell you so you could let me down and we could get over the whole thing. I feel like such an idiot.”

His arms tightened around her and he tipped back until they were both laying on the bed. Kouga shifted until they were both comfortable, although she still couldn't see his face.

“And I thought your comments about the affectionate stuff were gentle letdowns. At the track today-”

“I'm glad.”

“So no more awkwardness?” He finally asked. She tilted her head up to look at him and nodded her head in agreement.

A second later the door burst open and they were both scrambling apart guiltily, like teenagers caught by their parents, and she -mentally- muttered a sour oath about how long that particular vow had lasted.

“Will you two just get over yourselves? The others want to go grab something to eat,” Ayumi stated smartly, walking over to her bag and grabbing it, then leaving the room just as quickly and closing the door behind her quietly.

“You said she was the shy one, right?” Kouga asked, eyes wide.

“At least she didn't notice,” Kagome said, desperate to change the subject.

“Notice what?”

“You're you right now,” She pointed out. He looked at his hands and rubbed his face, groaning before the disguise began to take over his features.

“Not yet,” She asked quietly, wanting to see the real him for a little longer. Her request obviously surprised him, but the slight traces of the glamor disappeared as he watched her, waiting for something.

Feeling brave, she scooted closer to him, hand reaching out to cup his face. He turned into it, nose nuzzling the palm as he inhaled deeply, reminding her of the dream.

“Did you come in this morning?” She asked quietly. He nodded, eyes closed as he inhaled again. “I thought I was dreaming,” She admitted, surprised by the breath of air the burst out and fanned over her sensitive skin, ending in a chuckle.

“It's the only reason I had the balls to try kissing you,” He admitted, eyes opening as he finally looked at her. “You're affectionate when you sleep.”

She couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks, but he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers lightly. When a knock echoed on the door, he didn't jump away, although she did see his eyes narrow.

“I need to change, you too,” He sighed, nose resting against hers. “And for the record, you will never see me treat anyone like I treat you, pack or not,” He added, tongue darting out to touch the tip of her nose. She nodded dumbly, watching him go over to his bags and grab some clothing before walking into the bathroom.

The knocking started again and she walked over to the door, unsurprised to see her five friends standing outside expectantly, grins on their faces.

“Told you he would surprise you,” Ayumi said, smiling widely.

“I need to change,” She muttered, closing the door and ignoring the chorus of catcalls that sounded on the other side. Quickly going through her bag and pulling on a pair of jeans and changing into a regular shirt, she had just finished pulling the shirt down when the door behind her opened. She turned, saw Kouga with his eyes closed.

“Is it safe?”

“It's safe,” She laughed, happy that when his eyes opened, they were still blue.

“I heard the others. You'd think with that amount of noise they'd have left us alone, but they're still there. I'm pretty sure at least one of them has an ear to the door.”

She gave him a sly glance and walked over to the door, smiling widely as she raised both her hands and then slapped them against the wood loudly, smirking when one of the males on the other side yelped and there was a loud, feminine gasp. Opening the door she stared down at the tangle of her friends that stared up at her guiltily.

“Hear anything fun?” She asked archly.

“We just-” Ginta began.

“Wanted to make sure you were both-”

“Not dancing around the issue,” Ayumi muttered as Ginta helped her stand. Yuka and Eri were helping one another up and Hakkaku was brushing off his pants. Everyone was blushing heavily.

“We're not anymore, happy now?” Kouga asked, offering Kagome her helmet and jacket. She accepted them gratefully, turning back to her friends, who all stared them down as if they’d announced an engagement.

“What the hell is everyone looking at? Don't you guys have your own faces to go suck or something?” Kouga demanded gruffly.

Kagome couldn't stop the gasp that would have been a laugh had it not been for the utter shock of the statement. However, it did have the intended effect. Her friends began walking down the stairs in single file, giving them a curious glance from time to time as they followed.

“If I had known they were going to act like this I would have just gone to Hayate's,” Kouga muttered as he helped her onto the bike.

“That's not a bad idea,” She offered. “The restaurants and bars are bound to be filled with people from the track.”

“This is why you're amazing,” He chuckled before calling out to the others to quickly grab their bags. There was a mad scramble as he and the other two youkai went back to their rooms and came down not only with the bags she and her friends had brought, but presumably their own and tossed them into Yuka's car. He got back on, shield up and she could tell he was smiling. “Thanks, this is an awesome idea.” Glad he couldn't see her blush, she held on to him after he mounted, glad that the issue, however short and misguided it had been, had been dealt with. Which left her with a strange giddiness.

Determined not to act like a schoolgirl, she tried to force the elation down and to view it maturely. However, despite her best efforts, she couldn't fully contain her glee, clinging more tightly to him as he navigated traffic and took them further away from the city.

They stopped at a small grocery store, and Kagome felt a sense of belonging wash over her as they all walked inside, discussing what to grab for food while Ginta and Hakkaku picked out beer and went to pay for it. Kagome ignored her friend's sly glances and held the basket that everyone dropped their preferred items into. By the time they were done the basket had a motley assortment of junk food and fruit, and Kouga rolled his eyes, saying that they'd grab proper dinner on the way.

When they stopped at the restaurant from before, Kagome knew they were getting close, recognizing the place that had made the delicious steamed foods from their last visit. A sense of impatience overwhelmed her, and she tried not to fidget on the bike, afraid of tipping it over while Kouga was inside. Ayumi likewise stayed outside, the two youkai joining their alpha while her friends stayed in the car.

“Where are we going?” Eri asked, rolling her window down. Kagome slid her shield up and explained the getaway that Hayate had allowed them access to. Both Eri and Yuka nodded quietly.

“So did you two get everything sorted out?” Eri asked a moment later. Kagome hesitated, knowing how well Kouga could hear. Instead of vocalizing her thoughts, she nodded, glad the helmet hid her grin, which she knew would give away the giddiness she was trying to repress. Eri seemed to catch it in spite of that, and only laughed, nodding and turning forward again, rolling the window up and turning up the music inside of the car.

Minutes later the youkai were walking back out with bags in hand, quickly putting them in the back of the car before mounting their bikes.

It was easily late afternoon by the time they arrived, and Kagome pulled her helmet off, admiring the view of the small cabin and the sun shining off of the lake. Ginta was quick to suggest building a campfire and even Yuka seemed excited at the prospect of a camp out.

The males were relegated to setting up the fire and food while Kagome's friends grabbed their bags and dragged her into the small cabin, immediately bombarding her with questions. Questions Kagome knew the wolves would be able to hear. No matter how she demurred though, her friends would not let up, Yuka's questions and suggestions beginning to grow bolder and more mortifying by the second.

“We kissed, alright?” Kagome finally snapped as she pulled on her bikini top. “He didn't try to hump my leg. He's respectful.”

“Then what took him so long?”

“He was giving me space,” Kagome sighed, accepting the towel Yuka held out.

“Why would you need space? You've had space for years.”

“Well, it's complicated, okay?”

“Everything in your love life has been complicated,” Eri said, rolling her eyes. “Try simple for once. You two like each other. It's summer. Cuddle, make out, whatever. Just have fun.”

It was a simple solution to the giddiness that had been a persistent plague since she realized that Kouga returned her feelings. And it was with sudden clarity that she realized her friend was right. Despite the past, she and Kouga obviously had feelings for one another, and the past really had nothing to do with it. So how hard could it be to just enjoy and see where it went?

“You're right,” She admitted, sticking her tongue out when Eri gave her a smug smile.

“So do we need to get the condoms from the car for you?” Yuka added.

“You're awful,” Kagome muttered, face hot as she prayed that Kouga hadn't heard that particular offer. Eri began teasing her, Yuka joining in when Ayumi asked them to stop. The advice soon turned to exaggerated jokes, all of them ribald and bawdy as they walked out of the cabin.

The three youkai were joking and laughing amongst themselves, bottles of beer open and food laid out on a blanket. A firepit had been set up, but not lit, less than ten feet away. Ignoring her friends, she sat next to Kouga and accepted a beer and one of the packages, which turned out to be a simple burger. Everyone ate in relative silence, and once finished, Yuka mentioned going for a swim.

As if it had been code, Kagome and Kouga were suddenly alone, watching their friends jumping off of the dock and swimming through the cold waters of the lake.

“It's like they expect us to jump each other the minute they're not looking,” Kagome muttered sourly, accepting a second beer.

“We could, but I'm pretty sure we'd freak them out if we did.”

“Ayumi and the guys maybe, but I think Eri and Yuka are betting on how long it'll take.”

“They did offer condoms,” He pointed out, making her flush hotly.

“Any time I need to have a private conversation I'm going to make sure to blast music if you're within a mile range,” She groaned. His arm went over her shoulder and pulled her closer. Not protesting, she relaxed into him, watching her friends splashing each other and taking running jumps into the water.

They sat in companionable silence, and Kagome reflected how easy it was to just sit with him as they watched their friends. The sky darkened, and Kouga eventually pulled away. She watched him use his youki, or some trick of that nature, to light the fire. He grabbed a stick and a bag of marshmallows, quickly spearing two and holding them over the flames.

Kagome admitted she liked hers charred, and once the white fluff had caught fire, he let them burn for a moment before blowing them out and offering the stick to her.

“How do you eat them like that?” He asked, wrinkling his nose as she pulled them off.

“Like this,” She said, popping half of the gooey mess into her mouth and savoring the burnt sugar. The others were walking over and he called out to greet them. Taking advantage of the moment, she shoved the over half in his mouth, laughing mercilessly as he sputtered and swallowed, eyes narrowing on her.

“Careful about shoving shit in my mouth,” He muttered.

“Or what? You'll bite?” She teased. He eyed her intently, then shrugged blithely.

“I'll throw you into the lake.”

She made a dismissive sound, mimicking his careless attitude by shrugging as well.

“You don't think I'll do it,” He stated.

“You will, but I'll still have gotten you to eat charred marshmallows.”

“Not if I toss you in first,” He retorted.

“Mature.”

“They're so cute,” Eri breathed, effectively halting the conversation. Silence reigned for an awkward moment before everyone present except Kagome and Kouga burst into laughter. Kouga tossed a bottle cap at Ginta to no avail, and once the laughter died down Kagome rolled her eyes and shrugged.

Conversation finally steered away from the newly formed couple, and eventually led into ghost stories. Time passed and Kagome found herself leaning further and further into Kouga, who wrapped an arm around her when the night chill began to seep into her skin.

The fire dimmed down to coals, and Eri and Yuka both said they would sleep in the loft, and Ayumi followed shortly after. Even Ginta and Hakkaku yawned and said they would take the floor of the cabin and went in search of blankets, leaving her and Kouga alone, not that she trusted the illusion of solitude, given the sensitive hearing of the other youkai.

“So now that we don't have five weirdos playing big brother,” Kouga chuckled. Kagome elbowed him lightly. He leaned down and kissed her, and ignoring the voice in the back of her head that told her five people were probably watching from the tiny windows of the cabin, she heeded the voice that sounded suspiciously like Eri telling her to just enjoy things as they happened.

Which, after three minutes of kissing, ended abruptly with a loud chorus of cheers from the cabin.

“I knew it was too good to be true,” Kagome sighed heavily.

“I could throw all of them in the lake and lock them out of the cabin.”

“Or we could sleep out here.”

“You sure?”

“We'd probably need another blanket.”

“I've got one right here,” A voice said, and Kagome turned up to look at Hakkaku, who looked both pleased and smug.

“I'm surrounded by smart asses,” Kouga groaned as Hakkaku dropped the blanket and sauntered back to the cabin.

“You wouldn't have us any other way though,” Kagome snickered.

He nodded, a smile tilting up the corner of his lips as she spread the blanket out.

“It's been awhile since I slept outside like this,” He admitted.

“After I first got back, I couldn't sleep in my bed,” She admitted quietly. He went still, and she wondered if mentioning the past was a bad idea. “I still do it sometimes. It's nice to be able to see the sky. It's more clear out here though,” She added. He immediately relaxed and she turned onto her side. His arm went under her head and she tentatively laid her arm on his chest, hand resting over his heart.

“Most people would think you're nuts,” He finally said, eyes still on the moon.

“That's probably for the best,” She chuckled, resting her cheek on his bare skin, inhaling deeply. “I don't want to share.” The sentiment of the comment, or what it could be construed as, struck her the moment it left her lips, and she looked down, afraid to look up at his face.

“Me either,” He chuckled, eyes closing slowly. Kagome felt his fingers threading through her hair, which had spread and fanned out everywhere. Her fingers spread over his skin, and she could feel his heart, steady and strong, pulsing beneath the sensitive pads of her skin.

“Goodnight,” She whispered, feeling shy, although why she couldn't fathom.

“Night,” He said, tilting his head to brush his lips over her forehead. She hummed in contentment, snuggling closer into his side as a content sound rumbled in his chest, something too rough to be a purr and not angry enough to be a growl. It was the last sound she remembered hearing before she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Ton Up  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 9  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~

Blinking against the light, she groaned and burrowed deeper into the warmth surrounding her, feeling slightly chilled and too sleepy to confront the day.

“Morning,” A sleepy voice mumbled near her ear. Kagome's eyes fluttered open, immediately focusing on the expanse of tan flesh right in front of her face. Quickly taking stock of her position, she realized that at some point in the night she and Kouga had moved to their sides and he was holding her, a careless, clawed hand resting on her lower back, claws grazing her bare skin lightly. One leg was between his, his leg thrown carelessly over hers and curled, tangling and keeping her close.

“It's bright,” She groaned, turning her head back down to look at his chest and trying to block out the morning sun. The pervasive chill she had felt was morning dew that had settled on them, and she shivered once, wishing she had gone to bed wearing more than her bathing suit.

Kouga nodded, pulling the blanket up over their heads, effectively leaving them in darkness.

“Everyone is still asleep,” He commented, the words almost lost in a yawn as he stretched, his body straining around her.

Taking the time to spend a few private moments with him, she tilted her head up and kissed his chin, a muffled squeak lost when he moved to kiss her fully on the lips, a satisfied smirk not lost on her when he pulled away.

“There's a morning swim or the option to go grab breakfast,” He offered, body relaxing and pulling her closer.

“We'd have to get up,” She pointed out, trying to point out that he didn't seem ready to move in the least. She wasn’t entirely opposed to just laying there either, if she were being honest with herself. But Kouga seemed to take her comment in a different manner, grabbing her as he rolled onto his back.

“This option's nice too,” He said, a smile stretching his lips wide. She giggled, leaning down to kiss him and smiling as she pulled away. Even if she hadn't known him long, kissing him felt, in an odd way, liberating. That he kissed back gently, pressing for nothing, warmed a previously ignored part of herself. She'd never been overly affectionate on dates, and though she'd kissed before, his kisses felt different. Unsure if it was because she was older or because there were no specters or pressure hovering over them, she leaned down and kissed him again.

The blanket fell away, exposing them to light, not that she noticed as she moved her lips against his. He allowed her to lead the kiss, and she experimented, flicking her tongue against his lip before nipping it lightly. Clawed fingers tangled in her hair. When she pulled away to gasp for breath he shifted, sitting up. His hand settled on her hip and held her close as he kissed her again, beginning to coax her into a deeper kiss, one that wracked her body with an involuntary shudder. It was when she shuddered that he pulled away, face buried in the crook of her neck.

“Maybe now is a good time to stop,” He murmured quietly.

“Stop?” She asked, dazed. His breath puffing out against her neck made her shiver again, and she hugged his neck more tightly, seeking more of the sensation.

“I'm still male Kagome,” He sighed against her skin.

It took a moment for his words to register, and instead of being mortified or embarrassed, she hugged him, smiling lightly.

“I like kissing you,” She admitted.

“Good, I like kissing you,” He chuckled, arms wrapping around her waist.

She had no idea how long they stayed that way, but she savored the warmth of his body against hers and the solid, quiet support of his embrace as he moved back to lay down. His legs cradled hers and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply.

When she heard her friends calling out from the cabin, she looked up to him, surprised to see that he looked as chagrined as she felt.

“Breakfast it is,” She giggled when he pulled the blanket back over them. He growled something playfully, the words lost in the rumble of syllables. A moment later he stilled completely.

“I can hear you guys standing over us,” He muttered.

“And yet you're not doing anything,” Ginta's voice laughed.

“He's got his hands full,” Hakkaku retorted.

Kagome peeked out from under the blanket, blinking against the light when it fell back.

“There's no such thing as privacy with you guys, is there?” She asked.

“You should know the answer,” Ginta snorted.

“By now at least,” Hakkaku added.

Kagome heard Kouga mutter something unintelligible as she got up and stretched. Ignoring the three youkai, she walked back to the cabin and was assaulted the moment she stepped in.

“Did you two have fun last night?” Yuka asked, brows raised.

“We cuddled,” Kagome laughed, feeling too cheerful to be annoyed by her friend's antics.

“Just cuddled?” Eri asked, looking disbelieving.

“And kissed.”

“I'm glad you two finally figured it out.”

“We've only been like this for a week,” Kagome chuckled, changing out of her bathing suit and pulling on her underwear.

“It feels like forever,” Ayumi giggled, pulling on a shirt.

“So what's the plan for today?” Yuka asked.

“No idea,” Kagome admitted as she pulled on a shirt and tossed her bathing suit in her bag. “Kouga mentioned breakfast.”

“Breakfast sounds good. Maybe the beach.”

Kagome listened absentmindedly as her friends discussed possible plans, tying her shoes and grabbing her jacket and helmet. By the time they walked out the youkai outside had already changed and were joking quietly amongst themselves, Kouga looking less than pleased with whatever his friends were saying.

The three quieted by the time they got to the bikes, and Kagome looked from one to the next, brow arched in question. Something was obviously going on, but she had no idea what it was.

“I was thinking about calling the guys to meet us at the beach,” Yuka said, tossing her bag into the trunk of her car.

“Sounds like a plan,” Ginta responded. Kagome noticed Kouga's mouth opened to say something, then he shook his head and shrugged, throwing a leg over his bike to straddle it. Kagome pulled herself up behind him, pulling on her helmet as he did.

The trip felt shorter than it had the day before, and she almost groaned when they pulled into the hotel. There was no shortage of people staring at them as they walked to the elevator, and Kagome felt self conscious, as if she were being judged for wearing the riding jacket and the helmet in her hand. No one else seemed to notice it, and she shuffled to press closer to Kouga, who draped an arm over her shoulder.

Once they were back in the room, Kouga seemed to withdraw, becoming more quiet as the others looked over the room service menu, finally settling on ordering two of everything as Yuka and Eri called their 'summer flings' as they had dubbed the two males.

“Is everything alright?” Kagome finally asked, settling down into the couch next to Kouga. He nodded, although he seemed to have barely heard her.

“I was heading back to Tokyo tonight to finish the order,” He finally admitted. “The ferry leaves this afternoon.”

“Oh.”

Kagome admitted, if only to herself, that she didn't want him to leave yet, and felt selfish because his work meant more to him than she could fathom.

“He's too scared of looking desperate to ask you to go with him,” Ginta snorted, rolling his eyes. Kouga made a disgruntled, offended sound, glaring at the other youkai that sat on the couch across from them.

“I wouldn't want to get in the way of his work,” Kagome said, hoping to diffuse the sudden tension. Ginta laughed and Hakkaku tapped his chin thoughtfully.

“You're going to be learning to ride though, right?” He asked aloud, looking at the ceiling.

“Yeah,” She admitted slowly, noticing Kouga tensing next to her. The room had quieted and she shrank back from Kouga, afraid she had given the wrong answer somehow.

“Seems to me you'd need proper gear, especially a better fitting helmet and some boots. Those would be easier to find in Tokyo. It's only a few days after all, and I don't think you'd get in the way. He said it was just some minor details,” Ginta added, a smug smile on his face.

“Cheaper in Tokyo too, especially if you guys go to Taki's,” Hakkaku said, his smile mirroring the other youkai's.

“I think we could do without for a couple of days, Kagome needs to be safe,” Yuka said with a sly smile, sitting on the arm of the couch.

“Guys, Kouga has to work,” Kagome tried.

“It'll be fine, just, I don't want you to get bored or anything, I'll be in the shop for a few hours.”

“Let her watch. She wants to learn how to ride, let her know about the machine. At least she'll have a better idea than half the morons that are out there,” Hakkaku laughed.

Kagome finally chanced a quick glance at Kouga's face, surprised to see the anxiety there. He looked honestly afraid that she wouldn't like to go. Hoping she wasn’t projecting her own hopes onto him, she nodded slowly.

“I'd like to learn more,” She admitted. “What I've read in magazines doesn't cover a lot, and some of it's confusing.”

“That's settled then,” Ginta said, voice decisive. “You're going to take the truck, right?” He asked. Kouga nodded.

“The truck?”

“It's the trailer, we brought the bikes here in it,” Kouga explained. “Since Hayate has 'em now, I can take it back.”

Kagome nodded in understanding, grateful that the issue had been solved. Nervous excitement quickly followed the revelation when she realized that she would have time alone with Kouga, time to get to know him better and time where her friends would be making their own guesses, but not within hearing distance.

Breakfast arrived along with Heiken and Ken, both of who greeted her friends warmly and offered the three youkai brotherly greetings. Kagome didn't miss Kouga rolling his eyes and tried not to snicker when he looked vaguely repulsed.

“You know, at least they're not following us back to Tokyo,” She pointed out quietly.

“There are gods after all,” He snorted, standing to go grab a plate of food. She said nothing, watching him with a lazy smile and leaning against the arm of the couch, taking his spot and stretching across the length of the furniture. When he came back, he didn't even protest or try to get her to move.

He just sat on her legs, earning an angry yelp. He raised a brow as she scrambled to pull her legs from under him with a glare.

“Here I was, nice and got us both food, and you had to hog to couch. Oh well,” He sighed, leaning back and tossing her the extra set of chopsticks. Their own personal squabbling was lost as the others made plans, and she only gave half an ear to the suggestions the others made since she wouldn't be a part of them while trying to snatch food of of Kouga's plate.

“You could ask nicely,” He pointed out, not even looking at her as he took a bite from an apple and used his chopsticks to block her own from the plate in his lap.

“Where's the fun in that?” She muttered.

“Women always make things so difficult,” He sighed, taking another bite and chewing thoughtfully.

“You're the one refusing to let me eat.”

“You won't ask nicely or get your own plate. It's rude.”

She knew he was joking, because he couldn't be serious. At least she hoped not. With that thought firmly in mind, she looked from the plate to him, and giving a huff, leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek with her nose. He stilled immediately, and she darted forward, mouth open, and sank her teeth into the apple he had hovering next to his mouth, pulling away and taking the apple with her.

“That's a dirty trick,” He muttered as she grabbed the apple, taking a loud, crunching bite from the crisp flesh.

“Don't make me resort to them then,” She laughed.

He opened his mouth to say something, and she promptly shoved the apple in it before grabbing the plate from his lap. Laughter burst out around them and she looked across to the other couch where Ginta and Hakkaku were seated, clutching their bellies as they cackled.

Unlike Kouga, she willingly shared when he reached for food with his chopsticks, and their breakfast resumed in peace, or relative peace. The others quibbled over staying at the beach, visiting a spring, or seeing a movie. Karaoke was brought up and all four males involved groaned loudly until Yuka mentioned a karaoke bar, where they would be allowed to drink, which made the two youkai and Ayumi groan.

“I need to go get the truck, you want to ride along?”

“I was going to pack a bag,” She told him. “I've got a couple with me and I don't want to lug everything along.”

He nodded, standing and giving a short goodbye. The moment the door closed behind him, she looked to her friends, surprised that they didn't descend on her again. Grateful they had their own distractions, she went to her room and began packing, turning when the door opened.

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi all filed in. The room, while spacious for a hotel room, felt claustrophobic suddenly, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“So, a few days alone with him.”

“Don't you guys have your own guys to deal with?” Kagome groaned.

“They're eating, they can deal without us for a few minutes,” Eri giggled, opening the doors to the wardrobe and going through the clothes there.

“Guys, it's just a few days, and it's not a big deal.”

“Are you going to be sleeping at your mom's or his place?” Yuka asked slyly. Kagome blinked. She hadn't even thought of that. If she stayed at her mom's, her mother would know she was back in Tokyo, and why. The first was fine, the latter, the latter would take some explaining, which she wasn't sure she had really prepared herself for. The idea of riding was one thing, but admitting it to her mother was another. While she hadn't even considered riding outside of her trip to Hokkaido, living near Kouga and learning more meant she would probably be riding in Tokyo, might even get her own bike eventually.

Which her mother might be less than pleased about.

“I don't know,” She admitted.

“You should take him to meet your mom,” Ayumi encouraged quietly as Eri pulled a dress from it's hanger and folded it neatly into Kagome's bag.

“Not yet. They need time to get to know each other first,” Yuka argued as she went through a drawer and pulled out a pair of shorts that had been purchased only a few days before, and were not something Kagome would have picked for herself.

“Kagome knew him back in middle school,” Eri pointed out pragmatically.

“But not as a couple. They need some time.”

Kagome was more than willing to let them talk over her, because she didn't have to act on their advice in the least. Freed by that knowledge, she walked over to her wardrobe and packed a few shirts and grabbed some jeans from the dresser, as well as underthings and pajamas. Despite Yuka's pointed comment about the lack of sexiness concerning her sleep clothes, she zipped the bag up and grabbed her book, making a pointed comment about the others getting ready for their own day while going and lounging on a couch as the others scrambled to get ready.

Ginta and Hakkaku both looked like they wanted nothing more than to flee when she gave them a curious glance. Both sets of eyes flicked over to the two males sitting at the small dining table, and Kagome nodded in understanding before giving a light shrug.

“Hey Kagome, can I borrow that shirt I saw, the blue one?” Yuka asked.

“Sure,” Kagome said, already opening her book. Ginta and Hakkaku groaned when Ayumi sat in between them and told them her friends were taking their time.

In another fifteen minutes Yuka and Eri walked out, looking no different than they had before save for the change of clothes.

“Let's go,” Yuka called out.

And within seconds Kagome was alone in the suite, and she settled into her reading, enjoying the rare solitude. Halfway through the novel, she didn't notice the knocking at the door until a solid thump banged against it, and realizing she'd lost track of time, she hurried over to open it.

“You ready?” Kouga asked, looking vaguely amused.

“Sorry, I was reading,” She admitted quietly. “Let me go grab my bag.”

He waited patiently and she bolted to her room, flushing for being so absent minded as she grabbed her duffel and tried to slow her breathing. Reading had helped take her mind off of the options of where she would be staying and the possibility of having to explain to her mother that she had begun dating -something her mother would be thrilled to learn- and motorcycles -which would probably be less than thrilling-.

“You alright?” Kouga asked as they walked down the hallway to the elevators.

“Yeah,” She chirruped brightly.

“You're lying.”

“Probably.”

“Care to share?”

“Not really.”

“I could toss you off the ferry,” he offered as they stepped in.

She stared at the silver doors as they closed and leaned against the back wall, unsure of how to broach the topic without seeming childish or clingy.

“I don't know how to explain to my mom that I'm back in Tokyo,” She finally sighed, as the doors slid open and he stepped out.

“Do you have to?” He asked, head tilting to the side in askance.

“I don't have to, but I don't want to impose,” She started. He made an impatient sound and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward out of the elevator when the doors threatened to close.

“It's fine. I honestly didn't think about it either. But if you're okay with it, you can crash with me,” He offered. “I'll be on my best behavior.”

She nodded, smiling brightly now that yet another small crisis had been adverted before it had really begun. The only other issue was the idea of crashing with him, not that she really felt it was an issue, because she'd slept next to him the night before. However, sleeping in a bed, with none of her friends there to harass her, was slightly more daunting than camping out under the stars.

The truck was bigger than she had thought it would be, a black trailer attached to the back, also bigger than she had thought it would be. As she hopped up into the cab, she tossed her bag in the back seat and turned, struck at the sight of him putting on his seat belt.

“This is weird,” She admitted.

“How?” He asked, turning the key and looking in his side mirror.

“I've only seen you on a motorcycle.”

“I prefer them,” He told her, brow furrowed. “Cars feel too much like cages. I usually have the windows down when I drive. Beats out air conditioning to me.”

“You did live before they invented it,” She chuckled hitting the button to lower the window.

“Calling me old?”

“Possibly.”

“Thanks,” He muttered, although there was no anger in his tone as he pulled out of the parking lot. She watched the world pass by, chancing a glance in his direction every now and again, still vaguely discomfited by the picture he made as he drove. It was at odds with everything she knew about him, another adjustment she knew she would have to make, at least sometimes.

“Can you explain more about motorcycles to me?” She asked, wanting to fill the silence as he pulled onto the highway.

“What do you want to know?”

“I noticed there's different classes, but I could never get what makes them different, aside from how they look.”

“You mean like touring and sports?” He asked, eyes still on the road ahead of them.

“Yeah.”

He began explaining the differences of different bikes to her, going into details about the engines and body design that she only halfway understood, leading her to ask more questions about the working parts themselves. Words that had been abstracts to her before, fairing, suspension, binders, chassis, fork, began to make sense as he explained what different pieces were, and how they came together and operated on the motorcycle.

Amazed at his knowledge and the passion he displayed for it, she let him talk on, as fascinated by the change in him as she was by the breadth of his knowledge. Bits and pieces of his history mingled with it, personal anecdotes that revealed more of how he had become who he was.

When they arrived at the ferry, he hopped out for a moment, breaking her from her trance as she watched him speak to one of the valets. He walked away, over to a small office, and she stared out at the water and the boat waiting to take them back to Tokyo.

Five minutes later he was getting back in, a frown pinching his features.

“What's wrong?”

“Had to fight them on parking myself. I don't trust these kids with the trailer.”

Several valets watched as he drove carefully over the ramp and into the parking deck. There was limited space, and the attendant there seemed annoyed at the inclusion of the trailer and the space it was taking up even after Kouga muttered about paying for two parking spaces.

Kagome followed quietly, bag in hand, subdued by his frustration as they were shown back out and the obviously annoyed valet pointed silently at the stairs.

“Ignore them,” She finally said, elbowing him lightly. He looked down at her, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

“My bike's in the back, I don't want them jostling it or something,” He admitted.

“It'll be fine,” She assured him quietly. “You parked the truck and it's not going anywhere until we get to port.”

He nodded, walking through the hallways, duffel bag carelessly in hand and over his shoulder as he followed signs.

“They didn't have another room, but I can crash on the floor,” He explained when he used a key card to open the door.

Kagome was about to agree when she saw the room.

It was tiny, and nothing like the suite she and her friends had shared on the ride over. There was a small door leading to what she assumed was a bathroom, and the door to the room itself almost hit it when opened. The bathroom door was narrow, and even still would probably hit the bed when opened.

“We can share the bed,” She said decidedly.

“Kagome-”

“There isn't floorspace for me to crash on if I curled up into a ball, much less you,” She pointed out, voice flat. He looked at the floor and then at her and sighed, nodding as he did.

“Fine.”

The bed looked like it could fit both of them comfortably, which she was happy about. If it had been as small as the rest of the room was proportionally, she doubted even he would have been able to fit onto it. He opened his bag and pulled out a book, a heavy looking hardcover, the title of a thriller she had seen on shelves when she had gone looking for her own books to read.

Wordlessly they settled onto the bed, toeing off shoes and settling into it. Kagome wondered if the silence was because speaking would probably be more awkward, given the circumstances, and didn't want to test the theory by talking. Instead, she settled against the foot board, pillow propping her up as she opened her own book and began reading while Kouga leaned against the headboard, legs stretched out across the length of the bed.

Eventually she shuffled and got on her stomach, pillow under her chest and he began to slump down. The awkwardness passed, leaving a sense of intimacy in the quiet. Glancing over the top of her book, she saw that he was engrossed in the novel, and added that to her catalog of things that were slightly surreal.

He seemed to notice her staring, closing the book and sitting up, arms going over his head and tightening his shirt over his chest.

“How about some lunch?” He asked. Kagome glanced at her watch, surprised to see that it was already evening.

“Dinner?” She asked with a lopsided smile. Kouga nodded and threw his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on his boots and waiting patiently for her.

“So how's your book?” She asked as they walked down the corridors, moving with the slightly rocking of the boat.

“Predictable. The author's gone downhill lately,” He admitted.

“I haven't read anything by him.”

“I'm pretty sure he's given up on writing at this point,” Kouga chuckled. “It's actually pretty bad.”

“Oh?”

Listening to him explain how the situation itself was stupid and the characters beyond foolish, she laughed when he acted out a particular scene, even effecting different voices and making faces. By the time they got to the ferry's restaurant, she was doubled over with laughter, unable to stop when he imitated a woman's voice, making his own break from pitching it so high.

“What about yours?” He asked as they sat and waited for a waitress.

“Enjoyable.”

“Might have to steal it then.”

“I'm almost done. I can go by the magazine stand I saw when we rode over and pick up something not predictable,” She added, rolling her eyes.

Most of the other diners were quiet, although she didn't notice, quickly being pulled into conversation about different authors. She admitted she preferred stories with a hint of romance but despising ones where it was the main focus, and he admitted he generally didn't like romance in his books at all, saying that it usually took over the plot. They compared different books they had read recently, and she was pleasantly surprised to find out that he enjoyed thrillers and supernatural mysteries, although he generally found them comedic, thus his enjoyment.

Food was eaten absentmindedly as he admitted to trying to write a novel once, about the things that had happened in the past, names changed and events switched around. Unable to help herself, she giggled when he made a face as he told her publishers had said it was too mundane for an action or supernatural story.

“Do you still have it lying around?” She asked as he slipped a card into the small bill wallet.

“I think I burned it for warmth,” He joked, eyes flashing merrily when she gasped indignantly.

He was still bemoaning his fate as a mundane as they navigated the hallways in search of the magazine stand, getting turned around twice before finally finding it. Kagome scanned the few novels they had on the rack before pulling down a spy novel and paying for it. Getting back to their rooms was infinitely easier, Kouga pointing to his nose when she commented on his sure pace.

“I wish they had more to do on these things,” He groaned, sitting on the bed and pulling off his shoes.

“Not happy with my charming company?” She quipped smartly.

“That's fine, this room's tiny though,” He grumbled. “And I'm too cheap to get one of the first class suites,” He added, rolling his eyes in obvious disdain.

“I'm sure you'll live. Besides, we'll be asleep for half of it.”

“I wish I could hibernate, like bears,” He muttered dourly.

“Because hibernating for a day would be useful,” She retorted, opening her bag to go ahead and get ready for bed. As she shuffled through her clothing, she made an annoyed noise, setting most of it on the floor as she did, brow furrowed in confusion.

“You alright? Didn't grab the wrong bag did you?” He asked, peering over the side of the bed, braced on his elbows.

“It's the right bag, not everything I packed is in here, but there is some stuff I didn't,” She muttered.

“What?”

“Yuka,” She groaned, running a hand through her hair when she remembered that her friend had gone back into her room, unsupervised. “I wish she was a youkai so I could zap her.”

“What'd she do?”

Kagome did not want to admit that her friend had removed all of her sleep clothes, leaving only regular clothes and underwear.

“She changed some of my clothes around.”

“She's-”

“Got bad taste,” Kagome groaned. “But most of my clothes are here.”

“So what's the problem? You've got jeans at least, right?”

“Right.”

“You sound angry.”

“I don't have any sleep clothes. She pulled my pajamas out.”

“Your friend seems pretty presumptuous,” He muttered, eyes narrowing. Kagome prayed he had not seen the brightly colored box her friend had stashed in her bag, especially since seeing it had almost given her a heart attack. She promised retribution, if only mentally.

“She is, just, never mind. I can sleep in my jeans.”

“You can borrow a pair of my shorts,” He offered.

“That's okay-”

“They're clean,” He muttered, looking vaguely offended.

“Thanks,” She sighed, running a hand through her mussed hair again. “I'm really sorry about how she's been acting. It's just, I don't do this sort of thing, I mean, it's not like I haven't had dates, but I don't normally show interest,” She stopped immediately realizing two things. One, that she had been babbling. The second thing she realized was that he was smirking at her.

“Something funny?”

“Yeah,” He said, grabbing his bag from the floor and opening it.

“What?” She snipped.

“You,” He chuckled, pulling out a pair of plain black boxers and handing them to her. She huffed in annoyance and grabbed them without a word, taking her bag and walking into the tiny bathroom.

Changing was a pain in the cramped space, and in a moment of petty triumph she realized he would be far more uncomfortable in the small room. However, that triumph faded when she realized that, even though he was slim, she had a much smaller waist and that his shorts hung off of her, slipping down her hips. Feeling like she was wearing a balloon, she suppressed a groan and turned on the sink.

Brushing her teeth -holding up the waistband with one hand as she did- she glared at her reflection in the mirror. The fluorescent light washed out her complexion, made her slightly sunburned cheeks too pink, almost florid looking as she spat and rinsed.

Hesitant, she grabbed her bag and opened the door. Thankfully, Kouga was already reading her discarded novel, obviously amused by whatever it was he was reading.

“Thanks,” She sighed, flopping onto the mattress and grabbing her new book.

“No problem,” he said, flicking a glance in her direction before setting the book down and walking to the bathroom, bag in hand. She opened her book and was only halfway through the first page when she heard a bang and a loud, colorful curse.

“You okay?” She called out.

There was another crash that sent her scrambling out of the bed and to the bathroom door.

“Kouga?” She said, thumping her hand against the door.

“Don't open it,” He muttered, the door thin enough for her to hear the echo in the bathroom. “Tiny fucking spaces.”

She walked back to the bed, sitting on it, eyes on the door. When it finally opened, he looked ready to stomp out, stopping when he realized there wasn't enough room for his stride. Growling under his breath, he dropped his bag by the bed and sat down, rubbing his head.

“Let me see,” Kagome demanded quietly.

“I'm fine,” He sighed, flushing she she grabbed his face and looked at it. Blue eyes held notes of frustration, but the red tinge to his cheeks made her realize that he was more embarrassed someone had heard him than by the accident itself.

“What happened?” She asked quietly, rubbing the slightly swollen spot near his temple.

“I banged my head on the sink coming back up,” He admitted.

“They didn't take giants into account when making the bathroom,” She giggled, leaning forward to brush a kiss against the spot before leaning back. He gave her a lopsided grin and leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers.

Unsure if it was the freedom of her friends not being nearby to interrupt or if it was because they were growing more comfortable with one another, she followed him when he began to pull away. What awkwardness she had felt from inexperience before had also faded, and she couldn't stop the feeling of being daring as she straddled him.

Claws tickled her sides lightly under her shirt, palms warm as they settled on her hips. She cupped his face, gasped into his mouth when a fang glanced over her lip lightly. Heart pounding in her ears, she shivered when his hands traveled up her back and his fingers spread out, heat radiating from each digit as claws and calluses scraped against her skin.

He took over the kiss, demanding more than he had before. It felt hungry, almost possessive as his tongue slid against hers and a groan or growl, she wasn't sure which, thrummed in his chest and vibrated over her lips.

Heat, unfamiliar and heavy, pulsed and tingled beneath her skin, quieting any protest she might have had as he fell back onto the bed and his hands roamed over her back and down to cup her bottom. Her soft sounds, ones she wasn't fully aware of making, echoed and meshed with the rumblings and soft snarls he made as he turned, pinning her beneath him.

Her blood throbbed through her, electricity sparking where his lips touched as he pulled away and kissed along her jawline, his weight on his elbows while his hands rested against her sides, hot even through her shirt. Hot breaths puffed against her ear, over her neck before his lips brushed over the area, fangs glancing lightly off of her skin.

And then he was pulling away, eyes clenched shut as if afraid to look at her.

“Kouga,” She started, dazed and tight, body thrumming and immediately missing the heat of his covering her.

“Not, not yet,” He murmured, nose touching hers. “I'm trying to be noble.”

She wanted to tell him not to be noble, because at that moment she didn't feel very noble. However, he looked almost pained, and she realized it was costing him as much, if not more, to stop their progress, and that he was doing it for himself as much as her.

“Alright,” She murmured, cupping his face and touching his nose with the tip of her tongue lightly. The action seemed to calm him, and he shifted onto his side, pulling her close to him.

“Thank you.” His voice was ragged, and afraid she would sound just as ragged and breathy, she only nodded, allowing him to hold her as they both began to relax. What had been an almost charged awareness slowly faded into warm intimacy that demanded and pressed for nothing. Feeling more sure of herself, she cuddled into him, legs tangling in his as his breathing evened out.

“You're a really good guy,” She finally said, hand moving to drape over his side as she pressed her ear to the spot above his heart.

“Thanks.”

He didn't sound entirely pleased with the observation, and she couldn't stop the giggle that escaped as she pictured his expression. It would probably be frustrated, maybe even disgruntled.

“Tell me a story,” She demanded quietly.

“About?”

“Have you ever crashed?”

“A few times,” He admitted. “Not in a long time though.”

“What happened?”

“A truck hit the back when it ran a red light last time.”

Her gasp wasn't lost on him, and he slowly began to explain, almost automatically, what had happened. She listened as he explained how the truck had clipped the back of his bike, sending it on it's side, pinning his leg beneath it as traffic continued around him, how deafening the noise had been as another car had swerved to avoid him and crashed into another car, the ambulance that had insisted on looking at him despite the assurances that he was fine. The days of healing it had taken for his broken femur to knit itself back together.

When he stopped, she wasn't sure what to say. The experience seemed not to affect him in the least, except for the fact that he was so quiet, so apathetic sounding. Distant.

“I'm glad you're okay,” She murmured against his chest.

“It's why you have to wear armor,” He told her firmly. “You're not like us.”

“I know I'm new,” She began, startled when he pulled away and looked down at her, brows knit together in concern and blue eyes so intent he almost looked angry.

“I'll make sure you know what you're doing, and you'll be wonderful, but other people won't know what they're doing,” He told her quietly. “People don't pay attention to people on bikes, not really.”

She nodded, surprised by the vehemence in his tone, the utter conviction. The fear of learning to ride and having to deal with the amalgamate 'they' he referred to warred with the quiet pleasure that he had enough faith in her to say she'd be wonderful. She just hoped that she would be. After watching him on the track, she wasn't sure she'd ever be as good as he had proven to be.

“What if I'm awful?” She asked, not really mean to say the words aloud.

“You will be at first,” He sighed, settling his chin on the top of her head. “Especially if you're as clumsy as I remember you being.”

It was her turn to pull back and with an expert flick thump his nose lightly, making him twitch and wrinkle his nose as his eyes narrowed.

“Bad puppy,” She snipped. “You're not allowed to use that against me.”

“Pu-” He started, eyes widening comically before narrowing and a growl rumbled in his chest. “You want a puppy huh?” He growled, claws skittering over her skin as he exaggerated sniffing around her and nosing her, pushing against her face before his tongue slipped over her cheek.

“Kouga,” She screeched when he found the ticklish spot on her ribs and focusing there. Any words after that were lost in laughter as she tried to push him away, only succeeding in pushing herself over the side of the bed.

He stared down at her, eyes bright with laughter as she glared up at him, although she couldn't force the grin on her face to go away.

“Okay, not a puppy then,” She said, another giggle escaping. “Just an old wolf.”

“Smart ass,” He muttered, pulling her back up onto the bed and tugging her close before drawing the blankets over them.

“You live for it,” She reminded him.

“Maybe,” He chuckled, reaching over to switch off the light. “I could just be a masochist.”

“Sounds about right.”

She felt his teeth nipping at the tip of her nose lightly, a rebuke or a gesture of affection, she couldn't tell, but she darted forward in the dark, repeating the action, or trying to. She caught his chin instead, earning a half grunt half chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Go to bed,” He said, the words fanning over her lips. She leaned forward and this time found her mark, kissing him lightly before playfully nipping his lip.

“I'm in bed,” She reminded him, nuzzling her nose against his.

“Not if you keep doing that.”

“What?” She asked, confused.

“I'm not above pushing you off again.”

“Jerk.”

“You live for it,” He sighed, settling deeper into the covers.

“Maybe,” She murmured, inhaling the scent of him and falling into the warmth he offered.


	10. Chapter 10

She blinked sleepily when she felt him shifting away, his warmth fading almost immediately. His name came out as a yawn when she pushed herself up, and she could barely discern his shape as she heard him rustling around.

“What's going on?” She mumbled quietly. He turned back to her, leaning down and brushing his lips over her cheek.

“Come on,” He whispered insistently.

Not even fully conscious, she changed into a pair of pants under the cover and followed him out, not even bothering with shoes as he pulled her from the room and through the halls. Rubbing her eyes sleepily with her free hand, she yawned again as he led her up three flights of stairs and onto the deck. The sky was just beginning to lighten and he took her over to the rail, their bare feet slipping on the wet deck.

Chilled by the breeze, she didn't shrug off his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She did wonder what they were doing though.

“Kouga,” She yawned, shivering as wind hit her front, not even close to being protected by the guard rails. “What are we doing?”

“Seeing something you can't see in Tokyo,” He murmured into her ear.

She said nothing, waiting for whatever it was, and slowly she began to understand. The lightening of the sky was something she had seen before, although nothing so vivid, so colorful and far reaching as she was seeing now, the sun seeming to peek over the edge of the water and reflecting off of it. Pinks tinted the dark blue into violets and threaded bolts of orange through clouds as stars began to fade in the light. Reds and golds blossomed and dotted the horizon as the purples softened into lavenders and blue bled into them, turning it a shade of periwinkle.

The reds and golds faded as the sun became brighter, it's ascent banishing the stars completely and brightening the sky in a light blue that seemed to shade the whole world.

“I've always wondered if the sun's rising somewhere, all the time,” He admitted quietly. “If I could go fast enough that I lived a whole day of perpetual sunrise.”

It was a strangely whimsical thought, one that, in another life, wouldn't have suited him at all. But it cemented this new person, made her hum lightly as she leaned into him. A whole day that was a beginning, existing on a line that few people would ever consider existing, if it did at all.

“I think it would be nice,” She murmured softly. “To find a place between, somewhere people don't even see the magic. Like a secret world.”

His arms tightened around her minutely, although she couldn't miss it, eyes focused on the water and body attuned to his, seeking warmth and the solid assurance of him at her back.

They were quiet as the sun got higher and began to combat the chill, although his hold on her didn't lessen, and she didn't try to move away. The salt water misted the air and she could feel it on her face, light and tangy. His breath puffed against her skin and she held the idea of that secret shared between them, held by them both as they watched the world brighten into true morning.

“Come on, let's get you warm,” He finally said, pulling away and taking her hand. Her attention had been so focused that she had been oblivious to the others that had walked onto the deck, some to watch the water, some to smoke or murmur softly on their cell phones. Still feeling separated from them by an invisible wall and kept safe from the mundane by his embrace, she leaned against him they walked back into the ferry and down the stairs back to their room.

The lack of windows offered complete and utter darkness as they both sat on the bed. Ignoring that they were both still in their jeans, she pulled him down and threw a leg over his, curling into his warmth. Unable to fight the dream like haze of the morning, she yawned a quiet goodnight and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

~*~

Getting the truck out of the parking deck on the ferry proved to be more troublesome than getting it on it. The parking attendant was no less thrilled, and the operator at the Oarai port was less amenable to the idea than the one in the Hokkaido port had been. By the time they were pulling off of the boat, Kouga looked ready to spit bullets, and Kagome, unsure of what to say to make him feel better, remained silent.

“Sorry about that,” He muttered, eyes on the road ahead of him. “Just, people that ask for bribes piss me off.”

“He asked for a bribe?” She gasped, eyes widening.

“He asked,” Kouga told her, inflection on the word asked making her assume -correctly- that it had not been granted.

“So who is Taki?” She asked a moment later, wanting to lighten the mood.

“Taki owns a gear shop and makes custom leathers on the side. I prefer to go to her, she carries better armor than most places in Japan.”

“I've read some about armor, but I don't know a lot,” She admitted.

“Different kinds of suits have different kinds of armor inside. Some armor isn't worth a shit,” He said with quiet confidence. “Some is. If I teach you, you have to promise to wear your gear, or it's a no go.”

“I promise,” She told him, just as confidently as he had made his own declaration. “After what you told me, I'd prefer to be safe.”

“Good,” He said, a smile finally beginning to tilt up the corners of his lips. “We'll get you something basic for learning in, to get used to the feel of everything before stepping up. You need a new helmet though, the other one looked a little loose.”

“I thought it fit pretty well,” She mumbled, brows knitting together in confusion.

“It needs to be snug. You need to pick out something that feels right anyway.”

Kagome couldn't help but picture something like Kouga's gear, the bright blue helmet and the black accented with blue. Excitement began to thrum through her, making her fidget as they drove down the highway. Kouga seemed to notice, chuckling quietly as they got closer and closer to the city. Unable to stand the silence, Kagome leaned forward and turned on the radio.

“You're going to put it on some girly station aren't you?” He asked as she turned the knobs, ignoring the programmed stations completely and looking for one she liked.

“Yup,” She answered, flashing a cheeky smile.

“One condition.”

“And what would that be?” She asked, finally finding her favorite station, grinning as he grimaced in distaste.

“You have to sing the next song that comes on.”

“You're joking.”

“Not at all.”

And just as he finished his statement, a new song came on, one she had no hopes of singing because the singers were male and because she knew, beyond all other facts she knew about herself, that she was a terrible singer. Her solo in middle school aside, she couldn't carry a tune to save her life, and only sang in the privacy of her own room when she knew her family was gone. All of them.

“Come on,” He goaded. “Scared?”

“I'll shatter your eardrums,” She tried.

“Can't be that bad,” He offered.

She took a deep breath and began singing, eyes closed and face heating up as she began to sing quietly at first, then gained volume. Wiggling in her seat, she began to move her arms, ignoring his presence completely. Complete silence reigned on his side of the truck, and the open windows made it easier to get lost in the tune as she turned the knob to turn up the volume.

It wasn't until she finished the song that she looked over to him. He was smirking. And she immediately felt self conscious again.

“That was awful,” He admitted, smirk breaking into a true smile.

“You jerk,” She snapped, not quite able to believe that he had said her singing was bad, and to be smiling while he said it.

“Hey, not everyone can sing,” He said, winking at her. “At least you had fun while doing it. You're cute when you sing.”

“Cute?” She asked flatly, eyes narrowing. It crossed her mind to throw something at him, but even if he didn't catch it -a likelihood given his youkai speed- she risked the chance of killing at least herself, if not both of them by distracting him like that. Cute was not exactly the adjective she wanted to hear. Cute was for little girls in princess dresses and poodles.

“Fishing for compliments?”

“No,” She muttered sullenly.

“You're gorgeous,” He told her, giving her a quick glance. “And it's nice to see you relax and sing. I don't mind that it sounds like a dying cat.”

“Like you could do any better,” She muttered.

“Nope. I sound like someone killing a parrot with a bag of rocks.”

She couldn't help it, she snorted, then burst into laughter at the image that popped into her head, Kouga's mouth opening and angry, strangled squawks erupting as he held a microphone.

“I guess youkai can't be good at everything,” She giggled.

“Never claimed to be,” He agreed, relaxing back into the seat and flashing her another smile. “Just most things.”

“Arrogant.”

“Not really,” He answered, a wolfish grin etching his features, making her roll her eyes, reminded again of his cavalier, easy confidence.

“You've just had lots of time to learn,” She rebutted, earning an arch glare before he turned his attention back to the road.

“You're never going to stop giving me shit about my age, are you?” He asked, although there was no heat to his tone.

“Not a chance,” She giggled. “So what else do you do?”

“This and that.”

“That's not a real answer.”

“I write here and there, mostly articles for bike and mechanic sites. Popular opinion is that I’m no good at fiction,” He added with a rueful smile. “I go camping when I get some free time. I do some volunteer work with the local housing organizations, that sort of thing.”

“Sounds busy,” She admitted, slightly awed. Kouga seemed established, sure of himself. Mature. Suddenly she felt young again, very young and even childish compared to him.

“It helps pass the time,” He agreed. “Maybe you can help with the new project. The garage is pulling together with a few others to sponsor a new house being built. We get to go out and show each other how incompetent we all are.”

“Incompetent?” Kagome asked, more than confused.

“We get to help build the house, and most everyone there has no clue what the hell they're doing most of the time. The only reason I'm halfway knowledgeable is because I've helped out a few times before,” He admitted.

“You've built houses?”

“Helped,” He amended as he took the exit ramp and switched lanes smoothly. “I'm not a contractor. I just hammer what they tell me to hammer and carry what they tell me to carry. There are actual contractors that work on it, and they make sure we don't build something that falls in on someone's head,” He chuckled.

“I would like to help,” She said, nodding as she thought about it.

“Awesome.” He seemed genuinely pleased with her answer, and she settled back into her seat, watching as braked at a red light and turned the knob to change the radio station.

“You should sing,” She suggested.

“No.”

“I did,” She said, voice dripping with sweetness. “Scared?”

“Damn straight,” He admitted, smiling as he turned and drove deeper into the city. Kagome watched the world around them, the amount of people bustling about almost surreal after the relative peace of Hokkaido. The crowds were much larger, the people moving more quickly, and she couldn't help but wish for the more languid pace of the smaller island.

When he parked, it was in front of a small warehouse, the lot in front of it empty, but two motorcycles parked at it's side. Kagome hopped out of the front seat and followed him to a door on the side of the building. He walked in without knocking, even though the door didn't look like a professional entrance. There was a small room with a desk and several stacks of papers, and he ignored it completely for another door, which opened into the much larger, open storage area.

“Hey guys!” Kouga called out loudly. “Got a favor to ask!”

The light sounds of production stopped, and Kagome looked over to a short table where a woman was working with a sewing machine. A man walked away from a workbench and the woman pushed away from the table with the machine, revealing the arms of a wheelchair.

“Kagome, this is Taki and Morete. They make some of the best armor in the world.”

“Flattery gets you everywhere kiddo,” The woman snorted, wheeling over to Kagome. “It's good to meet you Kagome,” She said, extending her hand. Kagome had to bend slightly to shake it, but found herself surprised by the woman's firm grip. She couldn't keep her gaze from glancing at the woman's legs, or leg as the case turned out to be.

“Got t-boned a decade ago,” She said, nodding as Kagome flushed hotly.

“I'm sorry,” Kagome murmured.

“Could be worse,” The woman said with a careless shrug. “Besides, people tend to take me more seriously when I talk about safety now, and the precautions we take with the armor.”

“Taki's a shark,” Kouga snorted. “She uses her leg as a way to get to buyers and get them to order more.”

“Damn skippy,” The woman laughed.

“It's good to meet another friend of Yuuma's,” Morete said, extending his hand. “And ignore my wife, she's a good woman, just a pain in the ass.”

“You love it,” Taki laughed, moving past them to another table where a prosthetic sat. Kagome watched, unable to look away as the woman put it on and pulled the leg of her jeans down over it before pulling herself up and using a cane to walk a step or two.

“So, how did you two meet?” Taki asked, turning to face them.

“I knew Kagome back when,” Kouga answered honestly. “We ran into each other at Hayate's. She was at the track watching.”

“The race?”

“Nah, open track day, but we were the only ones there,” Kouga said with a smile. “She was up in the stands, wanted to talk to someone about learning.”

“Fortune favors the bold,” Taki chuckled. “So I take it you're here for some gear then?”

“Wouldn't go anywhere else,” Kouga smirked.

“Flattery kiddo, Morete, you could take some lessons from him,” Taki chuckled. Kagome glanced to the quiet man that leaned against one of the work tables, arms crossed but a smile stretching his lips wide and his dark eyes shining merrily.

“You're small,” Taki observed bluntly. Kagome flushed hotly under the woman's assessing gaze. “Which is good, we've got some gear that should be right for you. Not many smaller women out there wanting full gear. Boots might be a problem though. Do you need any rain gear?”

“Not yet,” Kouga answered when Kagome looked to him in confusion. “She's only learning at the moment, we're using Hayate's until we come back to Tokyo.”

“Taking a vacation?”

“Yup.”

“Might take one of those myself some day,” Taki snorted, walking over to the wall and staring at several boxes.

“Morete, I think these should be it.”

The man began pulling boxes down until he reached the boxes Taki had pointed at. Kagome followed, unsure of what to say as Morete opened the flaps of the box to reveal several plastic bags with black garments in them. When he pulled one out, Kagome tried not to show her astonishment.

“This one's multisport, but for learning it'll be good,” Morete said. Kagome took in the bulky front and the strange bulges in the arms and shoulders. It was nothing like what she had imagined, and it certainly wasn't the wonderful black, accented armor Kouga wore.

“Looks good. Got anything for her back?”

“Don't ask stupid questions,” Taki told him, voice cutting. “If you're teaching her that means she's not some back warmer playing around. I'm going to outfit her right. Once she's gotten the basics down she can come back for something a bit more tailored.”

Kagome wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, but she said nothing as Morete handed her the shirt and Taki nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and, knowing that they wouldn't have pointed her in that direction if she could just put it over her shirt, she quickly tugged it off and unzipped the front of the armor.

It was bulky and hot, but she could move in it, more than she had thought she would be able to. Her chest was slightly compressed, but otherwise it felt comfortable. She was about to open the door when a light knock sounded. Opening it, she saw Taki standing there, eyes narrowed in curiosity.

“Here. The armor goes on under the pants,” She said, holding out to packages. Kagome accepted them gratefully and was about to close the door when Taki stepped in and pushed the toilet seat down and sat.

Unnerved by the other woman's presence, she stared for a moment, knowing she was supposed to change but too shy to do it in front of someone she barely knew. After a moment of hesitation, she quickly stripped down to her underwear and pulled the armor on, self conscious and awkward feeling until she looked to Taki, who was staring at the wall, as if understanding her need for privacy.

“I'm not sure how they're supposed to fit,” Kagome said, looking down at the lumpy bulk of the pants.

“Squat,” Taki said, gaze turned back to her. Kagome did as told and bent down, surprised again by the movement afforded by the armor. “Looks about right. You're pretty small, but those are fine for practice. The pants should fit over them.”

Kagome pulled on the pants, not exceptionally happy that the lumps and bulges were still noticeable, but not vain enough to say no to the protection they would give her. Unlike Kouga, she was not a youkai and like Taki, she could lose a limb, something that was beginning to weigh on her even though she avoided looking below the woman's face.

“Yuuma was friends with my son,” Taki finally said, gaze back on the wall. “Known him for about ten, maybe eleven years. They worked together in the garage, all four of them, hung around, they were all my sons. Even after Mikon passed, he stuck around, him and the boys. They didn't stop being my sons because Mikon died.”

“I'm sorry about your son,” Kagome murmured, taken off guard by the somewhat brusque women's sudden softening.

“Yuuma's a good man. I don't want to see him hurt. He's never brought a woman here before, and only an idiot would miss the way he's staring at you. So. Hurt him and I'll break my foot off in your-”

“ _Damnit Taki!_ ” Kouga's voice shouted from nearby. Kagome jumped, face flushing hotly. Taki burst into laughter, using her cane to stand and open the door. Kagome followed her out, walking in her socks and into the main room. Kouga was groaning into his hand and Morete was tapping his foot against the floor, arms crossed.

“What?” Taki asked, brow raised. She looked amused, as if the entire situation, especially Kouga's embarrassment, was entertainment. And Kagome wondered for a moment if it wasn't in a way. Maybe Taki did see Kouga as a son bringing a girl around, and despite the woman's brusque manner, she couldn't help but like her a little for it. Not that she could figure out how to properly respond either.

“If you scare her off before he has a chance to actually-” Morete groaned.

“Kagome, maybe we should go look through gloves-” Kouga started.

“It's fine. And I'll try not to hurt him. Much. Male egos can be tender things after all,” She said, winking at the other woman, who laughed at her statement, an approving smile on her face.

“Have Yuuma bring you to dinner soon,” Taki said. “Don't forget the boys either,” She added, giving Kouga a sharp glance.

“Yes ma'am,” Kouga sighed, hand still over his face. Kagome walked over to him, socked feet padding silently on the floor and elbowed him. He looked down at her, embarrassment clear on his features.

“So, do the pants make my butt look fat?” She asked, wanting to break the tension. Knowing that her bottom looked disproportionately strange in the armor, she hoped he would see the humor for what it was. Morete and Taki both chuckled quietly when he looked to her and then them and shook his head, rubbing his face again.

“You know where the gloves are,” Taki told him, still chuckling. “Morete and I will look through the helmets and boots and pull some down in her size.”

The cane clicked on the concrete floor as the man and woman walked away to another corner of the warehouse while Kouga directed her to a workbench with several drawers beneath it.

“Sorry about Taki, she's a bit-”

“She's fine,” Kagome assured him. “I'm glad you have people like her. Hayate mentioned you tended to be more of a loner. But I'm happy you have people.”

“She's a bit of a crazy old bat, but she's good people, Morete too.”

“She said you worked with her son,” Kagome murmured as he opened a drawer.

“Yeah, Mikon. He worked in the garage with us. Found out he had a tumor, rode like he was dying,” Kouga chuckled. Kagome was amazed that the memory didn't seem to hurt him at all, the opposite of what she had expected. “He kept going until he couldn't. One of the best mechanics I'd ever met.”

Kagome was silent, surprised by the fond smile on his features as he pulled out several sets of gloves. She tried them on without having to be told, flexing her fingers until she found a set that felt comfortable. Morete had brought down several jackets, all either black or white that looked heavy.

“The shirt is for under the jacket,” Kouga explained as she tried one on. “It's extra protection. The shirt's made for when you know you're going to be falling.”

Kagome nodded in understanding, zipping the jacket up and trying to move her arms, which barely could with the added padding beneath the jacket itself. Two more jackets and she felt more comfortable, wheeling her arms around in a circle and then fully forward.

“Looks good,” Kouga said, nodding in approval. “You just need some boots and a bucket.”

“A bucket?” She asked dumbly, following them as they walked over to another bench. Her eyes widened when she saw several boxes, all looking like boot boxes from expensive stores, waiting. Several pairs were too small by a size or two, and a quarter of them were too big. She went through the ones labeled a size five and tried them on, feeling as if she was on display as she slid them on and off, answering when Kouga asked how they felt.

By the time she finished, she felt like she was pouring sweat, could feel it slipping against her skin beneath the armor and leather. Kouga seemed to notice, telling her to go change before they picked out a helmet. Only too happy to get out of everything and feeling a bit silly for wearing it wandering around anyway, she quickly stripped and pulled on her regular clothing, feeling like her skin could breathe again. It would be another thing to get used to, one she wasn't looking forward to in the summer heat.

When she walked out, a box was waiting for her, the boots she had picked out already in it. She carefully put everything else in it and looked down at the array of helmets. After she said the first felt okay she felt something hit the side of it and turned to stare at Taki, who was setting her cane back on the floor.

“Ears ringing?” Taki asked.

“No,” Kagome answered honestly.

“Taki, you invited her to dinner,” Morete said.

“And?” Taki grumped.

“She might think you're trying to poison her.”

“Seeing to her safety,” Taki chuckled. Kagome, still somewhat bowled over mentally by the woman's manner, said nothing, although she couldn't help but giggle at Kouga's obvious embarrassment. It was endearing in a way, as if she was meeting his parents and he was enduring the normal trials other people did during dating. Well, maybe not normal. Not once had she seen anyone like Taki, fictional or otherwise.

Five more helmets and she found one that was almost too tight feeling, pulling at her skin. Kouga said that's what they were looking for, and asked about different shields. Morete offered to go grab them and Kouga offered his thanks when the man walked off. Kagome pulled off the helmet and put it in the box.

“Just remember, it's good for one real wipe out,” Taki told her. Kagome nodded in understanding.

“She won't be going fast enough for it to be a problem,” Kouga assured quietly.

“Keep her in one piece,” Taki said, voice turning serious. “And you, make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid.”

“I'll try ma'am,” Kagome answered.

“All you can do,” Taki said, rolling her eyes in Kouga's direction. Morete came back, three shields in hand and tossing them into the box.

“It was good to meet you Kagome. I look forward to dinner.”

“You too sir,” Kagome answered. “Umm, I know this might sound rude, but how much do I owe you?”

“I've got-” Kouga started.

“Free, needed to get it out of here anyway,” Taki said, already back in her wheelchair and rolling over to the sewing machine.

“I can't-” Kagome started.

“You're going about it the right way. Not enough people do,” Taki said, leaning to be seen past the sewing machine. “Besides, I need to buy my way into heaven somehow.”

“That's her way of saying you're welcome,” Morete chuckled. “Give us a call once your vacation is over.”

“Will do,” Kouga promised, closing the top of the box and picking it up.

“Have a good day,” Kagome said, waving to both Morete and Taki as Kouga led her out. She opened the door for him and walked over to his truck, surprised that he still seemed somewhat embarrassed by Taki's reaction to her.

“Taki's a little hard to get used to,” He finally said as she opened the back door to the truck for him. A hand went to the back of his head and he shrugged, as if unsure of what to say next.

“She's different, but she suits your pack,” She told him, hugging him before stepping back and smiling up at him. “Like I said, I'm glad you've had them. And at least she hit me with her cane while I was wearing the helmet.”

“If it's any comfort she hit me a few times without one,” He admitted, rolling his eyes as she walked around to her door.

“Really?” Kagome asked, eyes widening as she got in.

“Oh yeah, she's got amazing aim with that thing. I think part of it was having to deal with us for years,” He chuckled. “One night she found out I'd had a couple of beers before driving over, knocked the shit out of me for it.”

“Good,” Kagome said primly.

“I'm a youkai, it takes more than a couple of-”

“But she's not, and her family isn't. You should know better than to set that sort of example.”

Kouga made a face at her declaration before shrugging and starting the truck.

“You never did it again, did you?” Kagome asked slyly when he remained silent.

“Hell no,” Kouga admitted. “That woman can read minds, I know it.”

“Any other times you got whacked that I should know about?”

“We got in a brawl with some shitty little biker gang and she saw Mikon after. Blistered all our ears for it, even his. And gave us a good thumping for it too.”

Kagome couldn't help but laugh, his expression so pained she wondered if he wasn't physically reliving the scenario.

“I'm starving,” She finally admitted.

“I need to get the trailer back to the garage, then we can go grab something to eat and head back to the shop,” He told her, pulling into traffic and beginning to relax again.

“I'm excited to see it,” She admitted shyly.

As it turned out, it wasn't far from Taki's, although she was surprised by the size. It was smaller than the warehouse they had just left, and looked similar to an actual garage. A bike sat in the front window of what appeared to be a small office, and Kouga ignored that entrance completely, driving to a garage at the end and hopping out to open the door, pushing it up to reveal an empty space with only an oil stain on the floor. It was deeper than she had expected, and when he got back in, she tried not to appear too curious, although she failed when she looked to the left of where they had pulled in and saw the actual workshop, where a motorcycle, obvious only by it's shape, sat beneath a cover, and several toolboxes lined one wall while workbenches lined yet another. The space was bigger than it appeared from the outside, and she got out of the truck, eager to explore.

Immediately she was assaulted with chemical smells, and she wondered how Kouga, with his sensitive nose, fared among them. But he seemed perfectly relaxed as he got out and watched her turn slowly, taking in the shadowed recesses that lay beyond the light shining in from outside.

“This is where you work?”

“Yeah. Any welding and some of the heavier tooling is done at Taki's, they've got a welding shed. Just about everything else we work on out here.”

“And this?” She asked, gesturing to the covered bike.

“It's the order I need to finish. Grab your jacket and helmet and we'll go grab some grub.”

She walked back over to the truck and pulled out the jacket and helmet, donning them as he opened the back of the trailer and walked his motorcycle into the sun. Excited at the prospect of riding in the city, she walked out and looked up at the sky, happy to see that even though they had spent at least an hour, maybe two in Taki's warehouse, the sky still hadn't darkened. It was late afternoon, and she wondered if they were going to be grabbing dinner more than lunch when he walked past her and back into the garage. Following him, she saw him disappear through another door for a moment before walking back out, a helmet and jacket in hand.

“Spares?” She asked, surprised.

“Taki liked the idea of us looking like power rangers,” He admitted, rolling his eyes in good cheer. “She's the reason our stuff looks color coded. She made up a few sets since we, and I quote, 'have more balls than brains'.”

“I don't understand,” Kagome admitted.

“Mikon's favorite color was orange, and one night when we'd been drinking and were being stupid, we painted our helmets our favorite colors. Shit job too, since we were less than sober by that point. Well, Taki saw it and said we looked like power rangers, so she made us suits to match. I think she did the black so her son didn't look like a pumpkin,” He laughed, pulling the jacket on while she held his helmet. “It just seemed sort of natural to do our bikes next.”

Kagome saw the logic in it, although she could also see Taki taking a perverse sort of glee in calling the males power rangers, using it as a nickname to embarrass them. Kouga pulled the door back down and locked it, accepting his helmet and pulling it on as he straddled the bike.

“Hop on,” He told her.

It felt different to be in the metropolis that was Tokyo as she pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled out of the lot and blended into traffic. Immediately she realized they wouldn't be going fast so long as they remained on their current route. The sun felt twice as hot as they stopped several times for lights and even once for an accident. When he finally pulled into a small diner's parking lot, she was more than willing to throw herself off of the bike, although he seemed to understand how eager she was and helped her dismount before even taking off his helmet.

“Eat in or take it back?” He asked after pulling off his helmet. His hair was mussed, half out of it's pony tail, and she stared at him blankly for a moment, unable to look away from the messy picture he presented.

“What?” He asked, staring down at her.

“It looks like you're growing a giant lump on the top of your head,” She confided.

“And?” He asked, pulling a glove off with his teeth and pulling the elastic band from his hair. When he shook his head, the glove flapped and she couldn't stop the snorting laughter, which only seemed to further annoy him.

“You looked like a wolf shaking itself dry.”

“At least it doesn't look like I stuck my tongue in an electrical socket,” He said, dropping the glove into his helmet and removing the other. She immediately reached for her hair and realized that parts of it were sticking up, courtesy of the new helmet’s snugness.

“Fine, you win,” She muttered, shoving the helmet into his chest and pulling the elastic out and running her fingers through it.

“Priss.”

“I'm female,” She pointed out primly, taking her helmet back and walking inside.

“Obviously.”

“Meaning?”

“You still haven't answered the question.”

“What question?”

“Are we eating in or taking it back?”

She looked at the diner and saw the amount of people inside.

“Let's take it back,” She said firmly.

“Sounds good to me,” He said, draping an arm over her shoulder and walking up to the building. He politely held the door open for her and she walked in, immediately surprised by how good it smelled inside and when several voices called out Kouga's human name.

“We usually grab lunch here,” He told her, walking over to the counter and pulling a menu from behind it. The waitress with the other customer didn't seem to mind in the least, only waving hello as she continued taking the order.

“What's good?” Kagome asked, scanning the items.

“The slam special,” He told her.

“Then that's what I'll get,” She said, handing him the menu.

“Oi, Denyo, two slams!” Kouga shouted out.

“You're going to feed that little thing a slammer?” A voice called out, a head immediately coming into view through the order window. The man's face was sweaty and red, and a ball cap covered what appeared to be a balding head.

“I'll eat what she doesn't,” Kouga laughed.

“Maybe I should make three,” The man joked.

Kagome listened to them trade jokes and sarcasm back and forth, and she realized again that Kouga had built a sort of network, a group of people he was friendly with, even if he himself didn't realize it. Even one of the waitresses passed by and sighed dramatically when he introduced Kagome as his girlfriend, although Kagome had a feeling the woman hadn't been interested in Kouga in the least. Something about her demeanor, a genuine happiness for Kouga, suggested she cared about him, maybe as a friend or acquaintance, but nothing more.

The food, when it arrived, came in a neatly tied bag, and Kouga paid the bill before waving and calling out farewells to both the cook and the waitresses. Even when they were back on the road she was thinking about the people he had in his life, and wondered if Hayate knew about them, or if Kouga even understood that he had people like that. While she couldn't speak for the people at the diner, she thought about Taki and Morete again, and wondered if Mikon's death had made him withdraw from most people or if he was just selective about those that he allowed himself to grow close to.

When they got to the garage he walked the bike in and then closed the door and locked it, punching in a code to arm an alarm system before walking through the door he had before. She followed, surprised to see a narrow flight of stairs.

At the top she walked into what looked like a small living area combined with a kitchen with nothing but a small round table to separate them. Bookcases lined one wall and a small television sat opposite the kitchen. A couch and a small table littered with magazines and manuals took up most of the space, and she saw a door leading to either a bathroom or a bedroom, she wasn't sure.

“You live up here?” She asked after handing him the bag of food.

“Yeah. I don't need a lot of space, and it's handy when I want to stay late working. Discourages break ins too,” He answered, although he sounded defensive.

“Awesome,” She said, plopping onto the couch, hoping her declaration resolved any worry he might have had about her staying there for the night. He nodded and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing plates and silverware. She was surprised to see him using western style silverware when he sat the plates down and opened the bag.

“I hate chopsticks,” He admitted. “Billions of ways to eat food and two sticks won out, somehow,” He grumbled, opening cartons and distributing food onto the plates. “Makes no fucking sense when the main diet is rice.”

He had a point, and though her family was partial to traditional methods, she was used to forks as well, putting the plate on her lap and leaning back.

“Shit, did you need something to drink?” He asked, looking as if he was mentally reprimanding himself for forgetting to be a good host. She doubted many people came up to the small apartment, and was willing to bet it was limited to Ginta and Hakkaku.

“I can grab it,” She started, but he was already up and at the fridge.

“I've got water and beer,” He said.

“Water's good,” She demurred, not caring for beer when she hoped he would be showing her the motorcycle and letting her watch him work on it. He came back with two bottles of water and handed her one, grabbing the remote to the television and turning it on.

“Documentaries?” She asked, immediately recognizing the documentary channel.

“They run some interesting historical shows,” He defended.

“Do you enjoy pointing out flaws?” She taunted lightly, earning an eye roll, although he changed channels. An action movie of some sort was running, and he sat the remote down, giving her a triumphant glance, as if he'd somehow won by putting up the testosterone driven movie. However, she was pleased to discover within ten minutes that he shared a habit she and her brother both had.

“There's no way that's possible,” She said, hand waving at the television as a man shot two guns at the same time and reloaded by sticking the gun against cartridges at the side of his belt.

“Maybe,” Kouga argued. “If he practiced a lot. I mean, it's not impossible.”

“Improbable.”

It was a habit that infuriated most of her friends, but one that she secretly delighted in with Kouga as they added their own monologues to the movie and pointed out flaws that made them both laugh hysterically, especially when the woman fainted into the man's arms and he gave an obvious one liner that had Kagome groaning.

“Women don't like that sort of thing?” Kouga asked, expression totally innocent, although she knew he had to be joking. Corny one liners had, hopefully, stayed in the feudal era and died out with Naraku. At least she hoped so. If Kouga spouted something like that in the present era, she wasn't sure she'd be able to refrain from laughing.

“Oh, you've saved me from the evil youkai,” Kagome breathed, turning and falling into his lap. “Let me faint dead away even though I know we have to run to the boat to get to safety, thus adding dead weight to the party and decreasing chances of survival.”

“You're too beautiful to leave behind,” Kouga declared, making what she supposed he thought was a serious face, but one that had her choking on her laughter. “I can carry you, for I am strong and fast. We won't even need the boat!”

“What, you're going to run on water?” She snorted.

“Maybe,” He chuckled, grabbing the plates and getting up. She followed him to the small kitchen, although he had a dishwasher, so she had nothing to do while he rinsed them and put them in.

“If you don't go ahead and ask you're going to burst out of your skin,” He chuckled as he closed the dishwasher.

“I didn't think I was that obvious,” She admitted.

“It's fine, and it's cool that you want to know more. Most people have no clue what the hell is doing what on a bike,” He informed her. “I didn't think about it, but have you got an old shirt with you, one you wouldn't mind getting messed up in case I show you how to make adjustments or something?”

“I think so,” She started, hesitant.

“It's fine, you can borrow one of mine,” He told her, walking past her and opening the door. “By the way, bathroom is that door there,” He told her, walking over to a dresser and pulling a drawer out. He tossed her a shirt and she accepted it, walking into the bathroom.

Even if he was rough around the edges, his apartment was neat, and the bathroom was no exception. Briefly she wondered if he spent more time in the garage downstairs or if he was just neat by nature. However, her thoughts were quickly waylaid by the scents embedded in the shirt as she pulled it over her head. She knew it was clean, but it still smelled like him, and she inhaled deeply, embarrassed when she caught herself.

Pulling it down before he wondered what was taking her so long, she noticed several black streaks running along the gray cloth and was glad she'd worn a pair of her older jeans. When she walked out, he was already in the living area and smiling brightly, almost as if he was the one that was being given something as he took the stairs quickly.

The lights were unnaturally bright as he flipped them on, and she was still blinking when he pulled the cover off of the motorcycle. It was much smaller than his, and the body of the bike itself was exposed, nothing covering it. The gas tank was also missing, making it look skeletal and miniscule.

“I've still got to finish the fairing and the tank for this one, that's all that left to do,” He told her. “But I can show you how some of the parts work.”

What had been theoretical and abstract suddenly began to make sense, a puzzle that slowly pieced itself together as he started with the engine, explaining that it was a four stroke and what that meant to the cooling system and how it worked within the engine. It was a fairly compact bike, and though she'd looked at a few diagrams in magazines, she hadn't fully realized how much was packed into such a small space.

He explained the process of fuel intake, pistons, cylinders, and he seemed to understand when he was talking over her head, chuckling and going more slowly, breaking down each part and how it affected riding itself. Kagome surprised even herself when she asked questions, somewhat gratified to see him warming up to the subject and looking pleased by what she asked.

Though she was woefully ignorant, he didn't seem to mind and she didn't feel the lesser for it, finally fully sitting and listening to him talk. While most men, or people, actually, had always seemed keen to talk about their passions as a way to make themselves look better or to feed their own egos, Kouga didn't seem to be interested in either, instead focusing on innovations made in recent years and how they came together. From the difference between magnetos and alternators to the materials the engine itself was made of, he explained carefully until she was sure her head was swimming with the information.

“Sorry,” He finally said, rubbing the back of his head and flushing lightly. “I ran off at the mouth. You're supposed to stop me when I do that.”

“I've enjoyed listening. I didn't realize engines were so complicated.”

“They're not, once you understand how they work. It'll probably be easier to show you with a loose one or a diagram,” He started, pushing himself up and offering her a hand. She gratefully accepted it, her knees popping and her bottom numb from sitting on the concrete.

“So, what was your first one like?” She asked as he stretched and ran a hand through his hair.

“A piece of crap,” He chuckled. “No lights, the brake never worked, and the belt was leather.”

She blinked several times, unsure if he was joking or if he was being serious. Despite his description, he was smiling and didn't seem to mind the memory in the least.

“Seriously?”

“Yup,” He told her, walking for the door that led to his apartment. “Dropped it more than I care to think about, and ended up sending it into a tree.”

“A tree?” Her words echoed off of the stairwell walls, and each echo seemed to amplify her disbelief.

“I jumped off and it kept going. I had no idea what the hell I was doing back then.”

“I think I can understand why you and Taki had me get all the gear,” She mumbled, wondering if she would do something similar. It seemed common sense that the older motorcycles would be much slower than the motorcycles of the current era, and she worried that falling from a bike for her would be significantly more painful and dangerous than from a much older, slower model.

“You'll be fine,” He assured her. “Just don't fall.”

“Wonderful advice,” She retorted dryly, starting when she looked out the window in his living room and realized that it was dark outside. The lack of windows in the garage had dulled her sense of time, and she hadn't even thought to put on her watch when waking up that morning.

“I'll let you grab the first shower,” He offered, scratching his head idly. “Towels are on the dresser.”

It was strangely mundane to be in his apartment, alone with him, and for him to fall back onto the couch and grab one of the notebooks that had been on the coffee table. However, she didn’t know what else to say, especially given the amount of new information she had taken in, and she was still trying to organize it when she took one of the towels from the pile and walked into the bathroom.

A cursory glance of the shower itself proved plain soap, shampoo and conditioner. Nothing was scented, and she supposed someone with a keen sense of smell would probably want to avoid flowery scents or the strange musks in most soaps made for men. It took a minute for the water to heat up, and when it did she quickly bathed, not wanting to hog all the hot water.

But when she began to dry off, she realized she had left her bag, and thus her clothing, down in the truck. Muttering a colorful oath under her breath and then blushing when she realized what she'd said, she promised herself that she wasn't going to let Kouga's speech habits leak into her own, and ran a hand through her damp hair before walking back into the bedroom and peeking her head out the door.

“Everything alright?” He asked, eyes still focused on a notepad while he scratched something out with a pencil. His whole body stretched over the length of the couch, feet dangling off the end as his forehead creased in thought. She wondered if he even noticed that she was dripping water on the floor.

“My bag is downstairs,” She mumbled, face hot.

“Shirts are in the top drawer, shorts in the bottom one.”

She was about to say something, but realized then that he was engrossed in whatever he was doing, and she remembered that he was taking time out of his own schedule, and felt a flash of guilt, making her withdraw to the bedroom and close the door.

Even stranger than being in his apartment was the prospect of going through his clothes. She was too shy to mention that even when she had borrowed a pair of his boxers the night before, she had still had underwear on beneath them. Sighing, she opened the top drawer and pulled out the first shirt she saw, pulling it on over her head and thanking the gods that it was big enough that it reached the middle of her thighs before facing a more daunting prospect. Gingerly pulling open the bottom drawer, she didn't even look when she pulled out a pair of shorts, closing it quickly and looking down at her hands.

Blue. The simple coincidence was not completely without it's irony as she slipped them on and finished towel drying her hair. The shorts themselves slipped halfway down her bottom, but the shirt hid that, which she sent another prayer of gratitude to the ceiling for before tossing the towel in the hamper by the door.

“I'm done,” She offered, walking out and sitting on the arm of the couch. He was still focused on the notepad, a frown marring his features.

“Second,” He muttered, making another note with the pencil. Kagome watched him, surprised by the frustration that pinched his features before he finally tossed the notepad and pencil onto the coffee table and rubbed his face, a gusty sigh muffled behind it.

“Everything alright?” She asked quietly.

“Arlen wanted my input on something and I have no idea how he's going to make it work,” The youkai groaned as he sat up and stretched.

“Arlen?”

“An American acquaintance. We've spoken more through email. He's got some good ideas. And some bad ones. He asked my opinion about the rake and it's just going to turn the bike into a showy piece of shit that'll be too hard to handle for actual riding.”

Kagome had no idea what that meant, but she slid down onto the couch and drew her legs up under her, leaning her body into his.

“If he asked your opinion, the he obviously values it. Tell him the truth.”

“I will, I just wish people would stop with the impractical shit for everyday riding. It's not safe and it looks like crap.”

“Most people speak badly of people on sport bikes,” She reminded him.

“People speak badly of any rider,” He sighed. “Like they think we all have a death wish or no brains to speak of. Idiots riding around on bikes that are engineered to kill them only reinforces the attitude.”

Kagome knew that this was a deep seeded issue, one that he probably dealt with on a constant basis, at least if his reaction was anything to go by. Snuggling deeper into him, she didn't complain when he draped an arm over her and pulled her closer.

“Promise me you're never going to run around on some flashy piece of crap.”

“You mean I can't make my bike bright pink with rhinestones?” She gasped, turning her face up to him, determined to keep her expression a mix of disbelief and horror. “But I wanted the pretty kitties stenciled on the sides in gold!”

The utter shock that froze his features as he contemplated the motorcycle, and she had no doubt that he had pictured it perfectly, made the statement worth it, even if the idea was repulsive to her.

But a minute later he laughed, although a sigh was laced into the sound.

“Thank you,” He said, kissing the top of her head. “I needed that. Although gods know there's probably something like that out there.”

“I promise I will never want something like that,” She muttered.

“I know,” He told her, standing and walking over to the bedroom. “You seem to prefer the canine persuasion anyway. I'll be out in a few.”

With that he left her alone, and she looked around the small room, considering watching television but immediately discarding the idea when her eyes lit on the bookcases. Walking over to them, she scanned each shelf, unsurprised to find several manuals and books on everything from engines to electrical systems and fabrication. Remembering what he had told her in the garage, she picked what looked like a simple book on engines and walked back over to the couch, affecting the same position he had when she had walked out and opening the book.

By the time he came back out and sat on the arm of the couch, she was on a diagram of a V Twin engine, finger scanning the labels as if she could learn by touch. When she finally realized that he was sitting there, she closed the book with a guilty smile and sat it on the coffee table.

“If you want to borrow anything it's fine,” He told her, head tilted to the side as if amused by her somehow. She pushed herself up and pulled her knees up to her chest, suddenly feeling very silly for having pulled the book down at all.

“It's fine,” She tried, giving him a half smile that she didn't quite feel.

“It's fine if you want,” He told her, moving onto the couch cushions. “I'm just surprised. Most riders only want to know the basics, and even the ones that want to know more usually don't start by reading engine manuals.”

“Am I doing it wrong?” She asked, eyes widening. But honest, chest rumbling laughter met her statement, a smile stretching his lips and making his eyes bright.

“No, you're just being thorough,” He told her. “More so than most people. Come on, it's past time for humans to be asleep.”

“I'm more than a human,” She reminded him, poking him with her finger while sending a small jolt of her power through her finger, making him jump.

“I can still throw you over my shoulder and toss you in bed,” He chortled, standing up and waiting.

Feeling playful and even impish, she stuck her tongue out and burrowed deeper into the soft couch, immediately regretting it when his smile turned predatory. It was an altogether inhuman smile, and while it didn't frighten her, it did touch on something instinctive, something that, in normal circumstances, would have told her to run.

“Fair enough,” He said, reaching down and kissing her lightly before she felt his arms wrapped around her slender frame and picking her up. With an unceremonious thump she was over his shoulder, eyes blinded by the white of his shirt as he walked over to the door and into the room, trying to dump her onto the bed.

At the last second she looped her arm around his neck, pulling him down more from surprise than from force. However, her own trick was easily turned on her, pinning her beneath him even though her arm was still around his neck. Claws pricked lightly into her sides, tickling her without any sign of stopping until she was flailing, releasing her hold on his neck and trying to squirm away.

“You are a pain in the ass,” He finally breathed, rolling over onto his side so that he no longer had her pinned. She quickly followed the action, but straddled his waist and glared down at him, arms crossed.

“I fail to see how I'm the one that's a pain when you're the one being such a guy.”

“I'm being a guy?” He asked flatly, expression reflecting his irritation with the statement. Kagome wondered why the word would cause such a response, but pushed ahead anyway, hoping to convey her joke with her tone.

“You slung me over your shoulder like I was a sack of rice,” She reminded him.

“But-”

“Several times.”

“Each one of them you dared me to.”

“And you had to prove me wrong?”

“You're cute when you're annoyed,” He told her, a smirk beginning to grace his lips.

“Is that why you keep doing it?” She asked, leaning down, her hair forming a curtain if still damp ringlets around them.

“Possibly.”

“And here I assumed it was just an inborn talent.”

“All talents require practice,” He said, lips brushing against hers. She wondered if he was talking about annoying her anymore, his voice deepening slightly before he was kissing her fully. Deciding then that it wasn't important and that she didn't care, she kissed him back, shocked by the heat that followed the shudder that ran through her when his hands settled on her hips.

He seemed hungrier, more demanding this time, something different flavoring the kiss as his tongue plunged into her mouth and slid against her own. His hands tightened on her hips and pushed her back, creating a delicious friction that trilled through her like waves of electricity. Moaning into the kiss, she pulled away, desperate for breath and looked down. The pure want in his gaze was frightening and thrilling, making the heady need she felt beginning to throb through her blood seem all the heavier and more intoxicating.

“Kagome, I really don't want to be a guy,” He muttered.

“You're not,” She answered dumbly, not quite grasping his meaning in her daze.

“You-”

“Want to,” She answered simply. Eri's warning about over complicating things echoed in her mind, and for once she felt like taking her friend's advice, leaning down to kiss the youkai beneath her. He groaned into the kiss, hands pushing up the shirt. She raised her arms, let him pull it over her head to bare her skin to his gaze.

For a split second she felt self conscious as his eyes widened. He pushed himself up until he was sitting, forcing her to lean back until she was kneeling in front of him.

“You're beautiful,” He murmured quietly, hands moving to rest on her shoulders lightly, as if she'd break beneath the pressure before moving down over the smooth skin, every hard callus scraping lightly until every inch he touched ached in it's awareness. He didn't touch her chest, almost as if he wasn't sure she was actually alright with it.

Shyly, hesitantly, she pulled at the bottom of his shirt, tugging it up over his head and exposing dark skin that contrasted sharply against her own. Smoothing her hands over the exposed skin, she paused over his heart, feeling the beat beneath her palm and taking a strange comfort in it's surety. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his, tongue flicking out to brush over his upper lip.

And then they were a tangle of lips and tongue, curious hands moving and touching, learning slopes of curves and the hard lines of muscle. Her body buzzed, tightened beneath his seeking hands as she explored his chest and shoulder, tangled her hands in his hair and kept him close even as he began kissing along her jaw and neck, teeth nipping lightly. Every harsh breath was hot, moist as it puffed over her skin, shivers running through her as she tilted her head back.

Keening softly when his hands finally cupped her breasts, thumbs flicking her nipples so that the tips of his claws drug across them, she bent back, crying out when hot wetness circled one. Fangs scraped lightly over the surface, holding it gently while his tongue, hard and slick, flicked across it rapidly.

It was almost too much, the ache bordering on painful as one arm wrapped around her waist and his free hand tangled in her hair. Even the air seemed to brush against her skin pleasurably until even inch of skin was charged, sensitive to the feel of the hair on his legs and the soft cotton of her boxers to the sweat slicked skin of his stomach.

When he pulled back, the air was almost freezing after the heat of his mouth, and she whimpered softly, needing more contact, more of him, mindlessly more of everything.

“I don't have anything,” He growled against her chest, the words vibrating and thrumming over her skin. For several seconds the words didn't register, and even when they did, she didn't understand what he meant.

“Huh?” Kagome looked down into his face and saw the naked desire and pained frustration there.

“I don't have anything, protection.”

Protection.

The memory of a brightly colored box immediately sprang to mind.

“Yuka put a box in my bag,” She told him, panic abating when he nodded and untangled himself, pulling his legs from beneath her. He pressed a hard kiss to her lips before walking out of the room, and she watched him leave, eyes widening when she saw the red marks on his back.

 _'Did I do that?'_ She asked herself, pulling a blanket around her to ward off the chilliness of the room. She couldn't hear him as he walked downstairs, and after a minute had passed, she could feel the urgency fading, replaced by an oppressive awkwardness. The heat chilled, and so did her mindlessness, replaced by embarrassment and questions. Chief among them were how he viewed her, and if she was doing the right thing after all. Eri wasn't the paragon of wisdom. And she would rather ignore the sexual aspect of a relationship completely before doing something to make Kouga think less of her.

Groaning into the pillow, she heard him drop the bag on the floor and was afraid to look up, but did when she felt the mattress dip.

“You too?” He asked quietly.

“I feel so stupid right now,” She admitted, pulling the blanket higher until it was over her head. And she did. It felt like a seduction only half planned and horribly botched, and the hot shame began to replace the pervasive chill that had acted like cold water. She was just thankful he had retained the presence of mind to think about protection. She certainly hadn't.

She felt the blanket being tugged lightly and the bed shifted. Looking up, she was surprised to see worried blue eyes that held as much anxiety as she felt.

“I don't want you to feel like you're supposed to do anything,” He admitted. “I don't want to screw things up.”

“I don't want you to think I'm, that I-” She started, feeling immature even as she said the words.

“I don't,” He chuckled. “But I also know I can be an idiot, especially where you're concerned.”

“I don't mind it,” She admitted quietly, knowing he could hear and thankful, for once, that he had such keen senses. She wasn't sure she would be able to say the next words in anything louder than a whisper, and she prayed she wasn't pressuring him in the way he was afraid of pressuring her. “I want to. You feel,” She paused for a moment, trying to find the right word. “Warm,” She finished, flinching at her choice. Out of everything she could have picked, she wasn't sure she could have picked anything more oblique and irrational.

“You do too,” He whispered, lips brushing against her own, although they lacked the intense hunger of before.

“The mood did die pretty quickly, didn't it?” She finally asked, voice filled with a sort of wry amusement she couldn't mask.

“I think we both stopped and let our fears kill it,” He told her, pulling her close. “Plus it's cold as shit down there.”

She couldn't stop the giggle from escaping, and when he began to chuckle, her giggles turned to laughter, followed quickly by his own. What she found so funny, she honestly couldn't say, but there was something funny about it, and the laughter shattered the awkwardness, letting her relax in his arms.

“Go to sleep, silly human,” He finally sighed once the laughter had mellowed into contented hums.

“Sounds like a plan old wolf,” She yawned, realizing then how tired she actually was. His warmth seeped into her, felt like a drug that pulled her under and into the darkness.

~*~


	11. Chapter 11

**Ton Up**

**By: The Hatter Theory**

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

**AN:** This is the uncensored version of Ton Up. Just a reminder. Non lemon version can be found on FFNet under the same name.

* * *

When she woke, it was still dark outside, at least she thought it was. Turning, she only saw very dim blue light coming from behind the blackout curtains, which took her three solid minutes to recognize as Kouga's. The next thing she realized was that she was alone in the bed, and that the boxers had slipped down almost to her thighs, proving almost useless as covering. Slipping from the bed, she pulled them back up around her hips and felt around on the floor for her shirt, finding it and tugging it on only to realize it was the one Kouga had worn the night before.

Feeling better than if she had found the one she had been wearing, she went to the bathroom and then walked into the living room area, surprised to see that the apartment itself was empty. Opening the door to the stairs, she heard the light buzzing she had attributed to sleep get louder and walked downstairs, wondering if he was working on the bike from the night before.

Kouga didn't turn around when she walked down, and not wanting to disturb him, she sat against the wall, content to watch him. A large mask covered his face and his eyes were protected by goggles. He was holding a machine that looked like a cross between a pressure washer and a spray can, paint covering the fairing he was working on.

He was wearing a pair of stained jeans and a long sleeved shirt stained with paint and grease. The mask and goggles hid his face, and his hair was pulled back. The fairing he was painting was a vivid, deep purple, standing out from the white covering the area as he passed the stream of paint over it, the already bright purple on each piece deepening a few shades when he applied another coat.

She was beginning to wish she had brought a blanket down,the floor being cold on her bare legs and seeping through the cotton of the shorts, when he turned around and started, as if surprised to see her there. Kagome wondered if the sound of the machine spraying the paint and the smells and mask kept him from picking up on her presence, or if he had been engrossed enough in his work that he hadn't even noticed her aura.

The machine switched off and he took several steps away from the workbench before pulling off the goggles and mask. Lines had indented his skin where they had rested, and his hair had gotten pulled by the mask straps, making him look like a very young, very dirty mad scientist.

"I thought you would be asleep," He said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Woke up and you were gone," She admitted with a yawn.

"How long have you been here?" He asked, brows knitting together.

"That's the second piece I've seen you working on," She told him, pushing herself up and holding onto the boxers as they attempted to slide down. "It's fine, I don't mind watching," She admitted. "You don't have to stop."

"I'm done for the moment," He told her. "Needs to dry before I can apply the clear coat. What do you think of the color?"

"I like it," She told him, stretching, her arms going over her head and back arching. When she looked at him again, she saw an amused smile on his face, one she was quickly beginning to recognize as amusement at her, for whatever reason.

"What?" She asked dumbly, surprised when he took her hand and led her over to the bench. His breathing got more shallow, and even she was having a hard time dealing with the smell of the chemicals as they stood over the bench.

"What?" She asked again.

"Is it an ugly purple? You can tell me the truth."

"I think it's a beautiful purple," She told him, tilting her head to look up at him as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"It's ugly, isn't it? Women say everything is beautiful."

"No," She snapped irritably, wondering if he was fishing for compliments. "It's a wonderful shade. It's not too deep and it's not so light that it looks like gray vomited into it. I think it's perfect."

"Good," He chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Since it's for you."

"I-What?" She asked stupidly, turning in his arms to look up at him. "Kouga-"

"Hmm?" He asked, smiling down at her.

"I can't accept something so big," She stuttered, awed and afraid. His shoulders sagged and he rolled his eyes before leaning down so that his forehead rested against her own.

"I don't do the romantic shit well," He said quietly, the words perfectly clear in the silence. "I'm actually not good at most things in this era-"

"That's not-"

"But I am good at this, and even though we don't really talk about it, you did help save my pack, saved me more than once," He reminded her. "In the long run, a bike isn't that big. I wanted to make this for you, to give it to you." His words held a quiet conviction, one that made her throat tighten as her eyes misted dangerously.

"Thank you," She whispered, nuzzling his nose with her own lightly.

"Plus the paint job might make you think twice about laying it down," He added, as if uncomfortable with the sudden seriousness. She couldn't stop the startled laugh that escaped, her arms going up to lace around his neck as she kissed him, another laugh escaping into the kiss. When he pulled away, he was smiling again, a genuine smile she couldn't help but return.

"So now you know why I vanished for a few days. When you mentioned learning how to ride, I got a little excited," He admitted, taking her hand and walking back over to the motorcycle he had been explaining to her the night before. "I had most of the parts, it's not big, but it should be big enough for you."

"Thank you," She whispered again, awed. "I know I keep saying it, but I just-"

"It's fine," He interrupted. "Just promise you'll be safe."

"I will," She promised quietly, looking at the motorcycle with new eyes. Hers. Her motorcycle. Any future problems loomed far off, easily eclipsed by her own excitement.

"Hungry?" He asked, giving her a sheepish grin when his stomach echoed his sentiment.

"I could eat. I should probably change though," She said, looking down at her legs. "Your shorts keep trying to fall off."

"You should wear them more often then," He told her as they walked for the door.

"I could wear them out today," She started, stopping when he growled lightly.

"Around here. Not for everyone else to see," He added, voice tight. She stepped onto the first stair and turned to him before nipping the end of his nose, an impish grin on her face. He stared down at her, expression blank, as if he didn't know quite what to do with her.

"So you want me naked when we go out. Got it," She told him before turning and darting up the stairs, quickly taking them when she heard another growl echo off of the walls behind her. She had almost made it when she felt his arms wrap around her middle. Kouga took the last few steps with ease, her body clutched to his chest before he dropped her on the couch.

"If anyone sees you naked, it's going to be me," He told her, a smile on his face as he leaned over her.

"Someone sounds possessive," She joked.

"I don't share," He told her, lips brushing over her nose before his tongue darted out and flicked against the tip. And then he was leaning back and walking for the bedroom, leaving her wondering if she had somehow made him angry or if he was joking. Following him, she saw him pulling the shirt off and stepped aside, barely moving in time for it to land in the hamper.

"I smell like paint," He explained, grabbing a towel and walking for the bathroom. The door closed behind him and she stared at it, an idea quickly forming, although she wasn't sure if she had the courage to go through with it.

Once the water started, she stepped closer to the door itself, hoping that the sound of the water would cover her steps. Her hand grabbed the knob and she stopped, eyes staring blankly at the dark wood. For a moment she convinced herself that she could turn the knob and take the first step, but every time she told her hand to move, it refused. And even though she couldn't turn the handle, she also couldn't seem to let it go.

Frustrated with her own warring conscience, she stepped back, finally releasing the knob and quickly walking away, needing to get away from the door and the conflict between her own shyness and overwhelming curiosity. Turning away from the door, she rubbed a hand over her face and then through her hair, groaning when she tried to gather her courage.

"You've faced down youkai, defeated evil hanyou and saved the world," She told herself, trying to remember the girl she had been. "And you've ridden a motorcycle and admitted how you feel about him." The pep talk accomplished nothing except for making Kagome feel even more foolish than she already did, mostly for saying it out loud when she knew his senses were on par with the sort of spy equipment the government dreamed up.

"Stop complicating everything," She told herself, whispering the words and spinning on her heel, hand reaching for the doorknob. However, it was yanked from her hand when Kouga opened the door, wet hair plastered to his face almost, but not quite, concealing vivid blue eyes laced with concern.

"Did you need to use the restroom? I heard you walking out here, I can wait," He said, water dripping onto the floor.

His utter obliviousness was as tempting to take as an out as it was mortifying.

"I-"

"It's fine-"

She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, positive that if he said anything else, she was going to burst into flames from sheer embarrassment. It wasn't a sweet kiss or even a gentle one, there was no hunger, but sheer nervous anxiety that managed to translate through her lips to his as she cupped his face and held him still before pulling back.

And then he was kissing her back, lips pressing against hers hungrily. She could feel the water from his hair and chest soaking through the thin material of the shirt. Heat bore into her skin, burning through her as his hands grabbed her bottom and pulled her up roughly, bouncing her once as he changed his grip to her legs until she was wrapping them around his waist, dislodging the towel that had been wrapped around it.

His wet hair was cold on her cheeks when he laid her down on the bed, never once releasing his hold on her as he knelt down, lips harshly pressed to hers and a fang carelessly scraping her tongue. The sounds of heavy breathing interspersed with moans echoed in the small room, ending in gasps when he pulled away, his hands tugging at her shirt. Wriggling beneath him she helped him tug it over her head before he was bending back down. Slick skin slipped against her own, chills running through her as he kissed and nipped along her jaw, down her neck.

The boxers she had been wearing were jerked roughly once, twice and then she felt air against her as his arms tugged the remnants down her legs, exposing her completely to him as he straightened and stared down at her, chest heaving as he dragged in a deep breath. Kagome looked up at him, unsure of what to do next. As much as she was exposed to him, he was also completely bared to her, revealing a muscled stomach and a line of hair leading down to his groin. Almost afraid to look lower, she met his gaze again.

His expression was hungry, edged with something darker that flickered like shadows in his blue eyes, the iris dilated but still oddly shaped, reminding her again that he wasn't human, that he was different. Unsure if the difference frightened or excited her, she tried to suppress a shiver, failed, and shifted nervously.

"If you want me to stop, you need to say it now," He rasped, fangs clenched together.

Not understanding why he would say that, especially after she had told him that she had wanted to, she pushed herself up and looked over to the side of the bed. Her bright purple bag was still next to it, and she reached over and pulled the zipper, shifting through clothes and pulling out the brightly colored box and opening it.

She had, in a juvenile moment of silliness and immaturity, blown several up for Ayumi's birthday, so when she pulled the packets out and carefully separated one from the rest, she didn't feel completely inexperienced with the protection, at least. Hoping for a semblance of assurance, of confidence, she opened it and pulled the condom out and turned back to him, surprised at how tense he was, his fists clenched by his sides and fangs digging into his lower lip.

She had gone to health class, and knew how to properly use a condom, but she couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she rolled the condom down the length of his shaft, mouth drying as she tried to slow her heart, positive she would have a heart attack if he said anything in that moment. His breathing deepened, turned into something harsher, almost a growl as she finished.

Too shy to look up at him, she leaned back, her hands grabbing his forearms and tugging him down with her. Hands cupping his face, she kissed him again, almost shyly at first, afraid she had somehow overstepped some line she wasn't aware of. But he was kissing her back, ever more demanding, ever more possessive with each ragged breath that sounded more like a snarl than human breathing. His hands moved everywhere, claws leaving raised trails in their wake, the cold of the slight pain sinking into the heat to contrast and shudder through her. Every part of her felt too hot, her blood throbbing through her, burning her up from the inside out.

When she felt him against her, pushing into her, she cried out, the pressure of being stretched, of being filled only intensifying the ache that ran through the heat. An inhuman sound echoed somewhere above her, mixing with her gasp before he was kissing her again, pressing into her until she felt him pushing against her hymen. For a moment there was an uncomfortable pressure, his whole body stilling as he paused.

And then he was moving his hips, pushing through it, sliding into her until she was sure she wouldn't be able to take anymore of him but wanting, delighting in the spark of pleasure that tightened in her chest and groin as he stopped and pulled out. Each nerve he slid past thrummed, her body arching into his. Even as he was pulling away she was wrapping her legs around his waist, trying to pull him back in. Greedy and desperate, she keened into the kiss, hands sliding over his back as she tried to hold onto him, feeling as though if she let go she was going to fizzle out into nothing but smoke and everything would end. His body pressed into hers, the hardness of him everywhere, sliding beneath the flesh, moving and rippling beneath her hands.

Sensations began to burn, to turn static and indistinct as everything blended together, the feel of his slick skin on hers blurring into the tingling of his fangs nipping her lips blurring into the heat of him thrusting into her until she felt cracks forming and she was falling through them, screaming something into his mouth as her body stretched too far and snapped, shattering in the heat of him.

Holding to him, shuddering and trembling, she felt him still, his face buried in the crook of her neck, a rough snarl thrumming over and through her. Clinging, she ran her hands over his back, finding an odd sense of safety, reveling in the completeness of them as he turned his head and nuzzled her cheek. Dizzy and panting, she didn't complain when he seemed to sag, his weight pressing into her as they regained their breath.

Whatever she had been ready for, it wasn't the sudden lethargy that weighted down her eyelids. Even when he pulled away, the sudden emptiness bewildering, she couldn't muster the energy to say anything, her tongue too thick in her mouth and her brain conspicuously light, as if it had turned to air. Ignoring the flicker of pain, she rolled with him when he fell to the side, draping her leg over his and kissing his chin, and feeling whole for the first time she could remember, fell asleep.

* * *

Kagome's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the dark skin of Kouga's chest and felt his legs holding hers between them, effectively trapping them. The next thing she noticed was that she had to go to the bathroom.

Badly.

Trying to be as gentle as possible, she began shifting her legs away when she felt his arm around her waist tighten and his legs bend to hold hers more securely.

"Kouga," She whispered.

"Mmm," He mumbled sleepily. She looked up and saw that his eyes weren't even open, and he looked like he was still asleep.

"I have to go to the bathroom," She mumbled.

"Later," He half sighed half grumbled, cementing her suspicions. Whatever else he was, he was not awake. The urge became more urgent, and she pushed against him. His hold only tightened, and she knew she had no hope of beating his youkai strength, and she made a mental note for such things in the future. But at that exact moment, she had to go to the bathroom, and the more he squeezed, the worse it got.

"Kouga, let me go," She tried in a louder voice.

He muttered something unintelligible, barely shifting.

"I'm sorry," She whispered lightly, not liking what she was about to do, but seeing no other option. Poking him in his chest, she let enough of her ki flare, a small spark, but enough to make him sit upright, eyes opening widely. Taking the opportunity, she slipped off the other side of the bed, sheet clutched firmly to her chest, and fled into the bathroom.

The shower, which he had apparently left running, did nothing to help the almost painful need.

When she walked out a few minutes later, the sheet wrapped around her modestly, she wasn't entirely surprised to see him frowning. It didn't entirely escape her notice that he had nothing covering him at all, not even the corner of the blanket.

"Warning next time would be wonderful," He grumbled, leg coming up to his chest while the other bent. It offered an illusion of modesty, although she was almost positive it had been subconscious. Blushing under his intent stare, she walked over to the bed and sat, bringing both of her knees up to her chest and giving him a shrug.

"I tried to wake you up. You told me later when I said I had to go to the bathroom," She defended. "I didn't think youkai slept that soundly."

"You were a virgin," He said, completely derailing the topic, and her thoughts, leaving her scrambling mentally from the sudden change.

"I was," She admitted, blushing even more hotly.

"I didn't, I should have-"

"It's fine, Kouga," She told him, scooting across the bed to sit next to him. "I didn't think it would make a difference."

"Women make no sense," He groaned, letting his head thump back against the wall, his eyes on the ceiling. Affronted, Kagome couldn't help but poke him, her ki traveling into his skin and making him jump again before he glared down at her.

"Explain," She demanded.

"That could be considered abusive you know," He pointed out, only to be rewarded with another poke, this time without the addition of her power bolstering it.

"Kouga, tell me," She demanded softly.

"Just-" He started, then looked back to the ceiling. "Women always seem to make such a huge deal out of their first time, they want it to be special. I-"

"Made it special," She interrupted, shoving him with her shoulder. "You should know better than anyone I'm not like most women anyway. I never got to the idea of candles and rose petals and everything. What if you knocked a candle over, or even if you didn't, you'd have to blow them out after. I'd rather cuddle."

"I imagine rose petals would stick to your ass, maybe end up in a few uncomfortable spots," He added, giving her a lopsided grin, which she returned with a smile of her own.

"If I had any doubts, I wouldn't have done it," She told him.

They stayed that way for several minutes, soaking in the quiet and the warmth. When her stomach growled petulantly, she sighed and scooted over to the edge of the bed, sheet still around her. Kouga however, had no compunctions, striding naked over to his drawers before opening them. Kagome's jaw went slack, and she struggled to school her expression when he turned to her, a grin on his face.

"Keep staring and we won't eat until tomorrow," He warned.

She scrambled to pull on her clothes, ignoring the initial twinge of pain that bolted through her groin as she hopped to get her pants on.

"Weird human," He commented, hands settling on her hips to steady her as she pushed her foot through a pants leg. She accepted the balance for a moment before stepping away and pulling them up and buttoning them.

"Perverted old wolf," She retorted, blushing when he handed her a shirt.

"Complaining?" He asked, brow arching.

"I suppose not," She sighed, not exasperated in the least but exaggerating the sound. Kouga seemed adept at bringing out a playfulness in her that she hadn't expressed in years, perhaps not ever, and the more he brought it out, the easier it came to her. It was relaxing, to let go like that and be able to snipe back at him.

"Suppose huh?" He asked, voice flat and eyes narrowing. "I guess that means you're not interested in further," He stopped, as if out of politeness not to refer to the act itself, although she knew it was for effect. If nothing else had stayed the same, Kouga was still blunt and unafraid of any language or references.

"Activities," He finally said, going to the bathroom, the door still open. Kagome could see him brushing his hair and pulling it into a hasty pony tail and giving into the impish urge, walked up behind him. His body completely blocked her from the mirror, and her view, but she imagined his eyes widened when her hands slipped under his shirt and came to his front, fingertips glancing over the line of hair that started below his navel and seemed to consistently draw her attention.

"If it's that easy to give up, I guess I can try," She sighed, lightly scraping her nails over his skin before stepping back quickly and getting ready to flee when he spun and grabbed her arm, tugging her close.

"Completely unfair," He murmured, leaning down to kiss her. Smiling even as she kissed back, she realized suddenly that what had been seemed distant, the future seemed an eternity away, and that it was easy to relax into the moment with him.

* * *

The stop at the bookstore was completely unexpected, and she walked in with him, wondering if he was looking for a new novel. But he strode purposefully through the aisles, and though she was curious she decided to give him space, walking over to the fiction section and looking through their suggested reading.

Flipping through a promising looking novel, she decided it would make for a good read on the ferry back and looked around, walking past several rows of shelves. Kouga's characteristic ponytail was not in evidence, even though she knew he stood taller than a good many of the standard shelves on the middle of the floor. Curious, she began looking in the niches created by taller shelves along the walls, not finding him in the automotive section or near the older thrillers.

Huffing slightly, she continued walking the wall, wondering if she had missed him somehow. Peering left to right, from the wall to the aisles, she ignored the curious stares of other shoppers perusing shelves and was almost to the front when a hand rested on her shoulder, startling her so badly she dropped her book.

"You know, I'm beginning to understand how you got kidnapped so much," He commented wryly as he bent to pick up her book, offering it to her. Kagome took it with a light huff, frustrated that out of everything about the past he could have mentioned, he chose the one joke that even her mother had trouble letting go of.

"How long were you following me?" She asked, crossing her arms. The effect was somewhat ruined by the helmet she held in one hand and the book in the other, making it difficult when combined with the stiffness of her jacket.

"About five minutes."

"You're hiding your energy," She accused quietly, eyes growing wide when she realized that he was emitting no trace of youki whatsoever. "That's cheating!"

"That's survival," He chortled, draping an arm over her shoulder, his helmet in hand. "Maybe you can find a priest that actually remembers what it means to be one that can help you out."

She was about to mention her grandfather when the implication of his words settled on her. Her grandfather was probably not what Kouga would call a priest, at least not in the sense of the priests from the past has been priests.

"You could teach me," She started, noticing he had a bag in his free hand.

"Greedy little thing aren't you?" He asked, giving her a wry glance. "Riding, men-"

"Men?" She asked stupidly as they got in line.

"Well, it's not like you won't benefit from my years of experience," He snorted.

"I'm sure you've left legions of women behind you, a trail of broken hearts. Maybe offspring, like Genghis Khan," She said, pursing her lips in thought as she tapped her chin. "You know, I'm surprised you or someone else hasn't. Think of how it would sway the population."

Kagome knew to keep the references to what they were really talking about oblique, but the embarrassment that etched itself into his features and stained his cheeks a deep red made her wonder if he had been with many females, or if he had abstained. Immediately she eschewed the latter. He had mentioned that his mating to Ayame had been broken only a few years after her departure, which left roughly five centuries before he had seen her again, and there had been no reason for him to wait. Logically, there had been no reason for her to either, nor any conscious desire to do so, although she was glad she had.

"Do you have any children?" She finally asked.

"No," He shot out, coloring even further.

"That was quick." And it was, which made her immediately suspicious.

"I know for a fact that I have absolutely no children," He growled, obviously growing frustrated with her line of questioning. It piqued her curiosity further, but she smiled and, since her hands were full, elbowed him lightly, hoping to soothe ire she had provoked with unconscious ease.

"I trust you, I was just kidding anyway," She told him, hoping her smile didn't belie her words. Kouga remained silent, perhaps even pensive, despite her cheer, and she walked up to the register and paid for her novel. When she had finished they walked back outside and she watched him tuck the bag into his jacket.

"Did you need me to carry them?" She asked, remembering the sheaf of papers he had given her to carry before.

"It's fine," He quipped as he mounted the bike. As if to end the conversation completely he pulled on his helmet, and she was given little choice but to tuck her own book into her jacket and pull herself up behind him, wrapping her arms around his stiff form.

She noticed that his riding was perfectly controlled even though he remained tense for the duration of the trip back to the garage. Not wanting to guess, or panic, at whatever it was that had upset him, she watched other people stop and stare, and even saw a few children waving and pointing at them as they passed. Kagome focused on everything, from the cars around them to the way the buildings changed as they drew closer to the garage. In fact, she was trying to think about something other than the tense, obviously angry youkai she was clinging to for safety.

When they got back, he opened the garage door and she slipped off the bike, watching him walk it in. Needing some sort of comfort, she attempted to hug her sides, the book jabbing uncomfortably into her stomach. Settling for hugging her helmet, she followed him up the stairs and into the apartment, surprised that instead of relaxing, he only seemed more angry than when she had first made the joke.

"Kouga," She started, setting the helmet down on the coffee table and walking over to him.

"I'm not some sort of philandering fuckhead," He snapped, finally looking at her. "I don't just sleep with women and run off."

"I'm sorry," She murmured, guilt immediately settling, heavy and oppressive on her shoulders, making them sag beneath the almost physical weight. "I didn't think you would take it seriously."

"Sex is not a joke to us," He bit out, voice tight and unnaturally quiet. "I don't know about other youkai, but it's not natural for us to just fuck random people."

The rage tightly controlled still vibrated and escaped, a subtle warning that he was powerful and mad. Even his disguise had vanished between getting into the garage and arriving at the top of the stairs.

"I understand," She tried, resting a hand on his arm and grateful when he didn't pull away. She had gotten that much, at least. Even if he did feel like he was going to snap at any second. "I don't know much about any youkai, and I didn't think my joke would insult your integrity or your heritage like it did. I apologize for insinuating."

"We're not like humans," He said, his clawed hand coming to cup her cheek. "We're not like you."

"I'm not like most humans either," She reminded him gently, placing her hand over his. "But if you could tell me more about ookami, I wouldn't mind listening." Determined to try and break through a barrier she hadn't realized existed, or even considered, she pulled away and tugged him over to the couch. He sat down next to her, grunting. They both pulled the books free from their jackets and discarded the jackets themselves, draping them over the back of the couch.

"It's not like we remained abstinent until we took mates, although it wasn't common for people to do that before finding someone they wanted to mate," He sighed. "Not until later anyway. It wasn't so much a tradition or anything, just a lack of desire, at least for me."

Kagome listened, wondering as he explained if he had been one of the ones to choose safety over pleasure, or if his lack of desire had been from the stress of leading the pack and losing so many of them.

"Even so, it wasn't like we just screwed around. Even if we had the inclination, back then, there was too much going on. And after you left, it's like the world began changing so quickly. We had to learn how to hide ourselves or integrate into human society. The closer they got to the mountains, the more we had to appear human. The more we appeared human, the more we interacted with them. But there was always the chance of discovery, of somehow alerting them to our presence. One of us being exposed could have endangered the whole pack. Even though there weren't many of us after the division, they were still mine to protect."

"We didn't take human lovers even though there were only a few females left. It just wasn't worth the chance. And when it became safe, when people remembered us better as legends than as reality, some of us split off, found people to be safe with. But the thought of fathering a hanyou that would be born to an unknowing mother, or worse, to a mother that would use it against us, there's just too much risk. Since Naraku was defeated there have only been a dozen or so pups born to the pack. And when the risk is so high, when there's such a huge chance of things going badly, it kills any desire or inclination to be with anyone."

Kagome realized that it wasn't just a matter of a joke taken too seriously. She had, however inadvertently, poked at an old wound, one that had never fully healed. The declaration of how few children had been born to the pack sounded more like a lament, welling up from some dark, hidden place in him.

"We've always been selective, but it's gotten more so through the centuries, not less."

The quiet declaration made her feel even worse, immediately coloring his refusals and requests for patience. Unable to stop herself from questioning it, the explanation, the impromptu history lesson, cast an ugly shade on her persistence, making her wonder if, in an attempt to appear chivalrous and not bring up a painful history, he had taken the easier explanation. One she had plowed over selfishly, too focused on her own wants to consider his, too sure of his feelings to have actually asked about them.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, throat tightening painfully, making it difficult to breathe. "I didn't realize that-"

"That it means something?" He asked, looking down at her.

"It does, it means something," She rebutted, knowing she was garbling and tangling the words she wanted to say, but not knowing the right ones to begin with. "It meant something to me. I just, I didn't realize I was pushing you when there's so much-"

"I didn't lie," He interrupted, sagging into the couch, the tension leaving his body all at once, as if the wind had literally been knocked from him, leaving him empty. "Ever since I saw you, shit. I'm still male Kagome. You're beautiful and amazing and so much more than I remember you being. Every time I turn around it's like there's something new about you and it's fantastic. I was scared of pushing you too far. I trust you, and I won't deny the physical attraction since it would be an obvious lie."

Kagome didn't know whether to smile or to cry, the sincerity of his words coming through only too clearly. After his explanation, his confession seemed all the more weighty, all the more solid and meaningful.

"Sorry I got my panties in a twist," He groaned, leaning against her. "That's just one of those things."

"I can see why," She murmured thickly, determined not to cry. "I never thought about how hard it was to be a youkai in this era. I guess you guys just seemed so normal, I didn't realize how much you had to hold back."

"Most of it's not so bad," He admitted, his arm reaching behind her to pull her closer. "Relationships are one of those tricky things."

"But what about with other youkai or hanyou?" She asked.

"When I broke my mating with Ayame, the reason for it spread. Even if we have to live in a human's world, most youkai still hold the old prejudices, which is why there aren't that many hanyou. But once they all knew I refused to kill humans, I fell into the category below humans."

She wasn't sure if her pain and guilt were misplaced or if she was correct in feeling them. Kouga's oath had been because of her, and they had led to his separation from not only his pack, which had been bad enough, but from other youkai, which seemed unbearable. Five centuries. Suddenly the time she considered him having to screw around seemed like a sentencing, a punishment that had been meted out to him by a very unfair, very hateful god.

"I'm sorry," She said again, for lack of anything else to say.

"It worked out," He said, and there was no hurt or censure in his tone, merely acceptance. While one thing had cut him deeply, the simple fact of his broken mating and the loss of part of his pack seemed easier for him to bear, and she hoped it wasn't that he was pretending or even blocking the effects of the latter.

"I wouldn't trade this life for the world," He finally told her, nudging her gently, as if guessing her thoughts. "I'm doing something I love, I have friends, and I found you again. Chalk it up to screwy wiring with fate. But I'm happy."

"Me too," She finally whispered, cuddling deeper into his side, and realized that she was. Whatever had happened, there was no undoing it, however much she wished he hadn't been forced to endure it. And selfishly, she admitted that she was happy, and had he not endured, she would probably never have seen him again.

"Can you tell me more about ookami traditions?" She asked quietly.

"Well, on the full moon we all get together, strip and run naked through the woods, beating our chests and stealing children for dinner," Kouga said in the most cavalier voice she had ever heard.

She choked on the laugh that bubbled up from deep in her chest and smacked his chest with her hand, shaking from the loud guffaws that escaped. He joined her, fingers lacing with her own as the tension shattered. Kagome wasn't foolish enough to believe that the wound had healed over, but she hoped that it at least had a better chance of healing cleanly.

"What about your parents?" She finally asked.

Memories poured out, of parents that had passed when he was young, but that had left an indelible mark on him. A mother that had been every inch the warrior his father had been, both great tribal leaders with a deeply ingrained sense of honor and responsibility. She heard stories of his uncles and aunts, and myriad cousins. The memories themselves came haltingly at first, as if he hadn't thought of them in a long time and they were covered with dust of years gone by. But slowly he warmed to them, smiling when an amusing anecdote came to mind, leaving her giggling while he explained the intricacies of child naming ceremonies, and how his abrupt shouting of a word had left the tribe with a child named Rock.

Whatever had been tense, whatever had shadowed their evening, it passed and left them basking in one another as he told her various stories, sifting through memories and ceremonies with ease. Pieces of his life began to connect with what she remembered and blurred into the person he was now.

Listening had never been so easy for her, nor had laughing. She assumed that it was because he had dealt with enough seriousness for the evening and simply wanted to relax. Even the memories he told were all lighthearted and soft, nothing jagged or cutting like what he had brought up shortly before. She did discover that he had a talent for story telling, and she was still smiling when her breathing evened out and her eyelids grew heavy, demanding sleep despite her best efforts to resist.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ton Up**

**By: The Hatter Theory**

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

 **AN:** This is the uncensored, full of lemony goodness chapter. For less lemon and general citrus content, go to FFNet.

* * *

 

This time, when she walked downstairs, Kagome was wearing another pair of his boxers and one of her shirts, exposing a thin area of her stomach, a band where his shorts sagged and her shirt lifted as she stretched.

The paint gun wasn't on, but when she looked around, she saw that the bike had been fully assembled, the gas tank and fairing shining in the bright lights overhead. She stared at it, noting the difference to Kouga's motorcycle. There was the obvious size difference, and she wondered if the engines themselves were different, and how. Resolving to ask him, she cast her senses out, looking for him, and found nothing.

He wasn't upstairs either, she had checked. But his motorcycle was still parked in the garage. Curious, she walked back upstairs and grabbed her cell phone, which she had been neglecting since she had stepped on the ferry back, and flipped it open, scrolling through numbers and clicking on his name.

No answer. She shrugged and tossed the phone back into her bag, noting the dying battery and walked back into the living room, grabbing the engine manual and flipping through it, reading the overviews and trying to guess which Kouga would have thought appropriate for her.

When the door opened, she looked up, saw the groceries in his hands and scrambled off of the couch, eager to help him and ask her about the motorcycle downstairs.

"How did you get these?" She asked.

"Walked. There's a store near here," He told her, opening the fridge and putting in some staples, a small carton of milk and some fruit, some vegetables and even bread. When she glanced at the bread in question, he gave her a shrug.

"The downside to living above the shop is that the smells tend to get into the foods, so I don't store anything outside of the fridge or freezer."

She could see how that would be off putting, especially for him. Handing him things out of the bags, she leaned against the counter when he finished and stared up at him, unsure of how to ask what she wanted.

"I take it you went downstairs," He laughed, closing the door and leaning against the opposite counter, arms folded and a smile on his face.

"I did," She admitted, not very ashamed. Somehow she doubted he was worried about her walking around, at least she hoped he wasn't.

"I can see the questions. Go ahead and shoot," He said, walking over to the couch and slipping his boots off and propping his feet on the coffee table.

"I was wondering about the engine," She started.

"Four stroke single cylinder," He answered easily as she sat down.

Given what little she knew about engines, and she knew she didn't know much of anything, it still sounded small.

"It's meant to be light and sort of fast," He told her, looking at her when she remained silent. "You don't need anything more powerful than that right now. And anything heavier would be a problem for you."

Kagome didn't know if he was insinuating that she was weak or if he was referring to her size, although she admitted disappointment. In the magazines she had read, the motorcycles all had bigger engines and went faster.

"In Tokyo you won't be able to go as fast," He told her quietly. "And you'll need to get used to the weight first."

"I know," She admitted.

"You want to go as fast as I do," He guessed aloud. She nodded, giving him a sheepish smile and feeling guilty for not being as excited as she had the day before. Kouga was looking out for her safety, and she didn't want to repay his concern and the enormity of his gift with a hint of displeasure.

"Soon enough," He promised. "Let's just make sure you can stay upright first," He laughed. "Although, I admit I am a bit surprised. I thought you would have let your curiosity get the better of you by now."

Kagome couldn't help but be confused when he reached forward and grabbed the bag from the day before. He untied it and pulled two books out, offering them to her. Gingerly taking them, she saw that one was a book on motorcycle maintenance, and the other was a book on riding itself.

"Those should give you a better idea about context," He explained as she opened the riding book and flipped through, pages of text and diagrams immediately befuddling her. The maintenance book was no better, the pictures and huge blocks of text making her head swim.

"I didn't realize there was so much to it," She admitted, intimidated by the amount of knowledge presented in both books. And, given that Kouga had been the one to buy them, she was sure they were good books, he wouldn't purchase something sub par for her to learn.

"A lot of it becomes easy once you actually learn how to do it."

"I feel like I'm reading german," She groaned, eyes scanning a sentence and seeing something about electrical systems that sounded like something out of a science fiction movie.

"Like I said, it becomes easier once you apply it," He chuckled.

"Thank you," She sighed, looking over to him. That he had bought the books only moments before their first sort of argument stung her conscience, although she didn't want to bring up the situation again, too afraid of provoking bad memories when he was smiling down at her.

"No problem. Besides, if it gets to be too much, you can ask me."

"Trying to make me dependent?" She asked archly, joking with him.

"Well, I would be sort of like a god-" He started, stopping when she zapped him lightly with her finger. Kagome relaxed however, grateful that he had relaxed again. The day before seemed to have left no mark, and she couldn't help but murmur a mental thanks to the ceiling, hoping some unseen force heard it.

"So, we can go out today or-"

"Or?" She asked.

"You can go over one of the manuals and I can try and figure out how to tell Arlen that he's out of his fucking mind."

"The second sounds good," She giggled, shifting when he got up and walked to the bedroom. Minutes later he came back out with a laptop and sat back down.

Dutifully opening the riding manual, she began with the forward, immediately taken with the way the author's voice seemed to jump off of the page and the simplicity of the information provided. Kouga tapped away at the keys of his laptop. Absentmindedly she shifted, putting her back against the arm of the sofa and he slouched slightly, his feet finding their way back onto the coffee table.

He wordlessly got up three or four times, the second time coming back with two bottles of water and setting one next to her, and she murmured a distracted thanks, eyes still devouring the text. The basics of a few different motorcycles were presented, and she greedily poured over the information for all of them, pleased that the author had somehow broken down the information enough for her to understand without being overwhelmed.

Kouga eventually turned on the overhead light when the sunlight coming through the window began to dim, and she sat the book down, knowing if she tried to take in any more the information would become jumbled. Stretching lightly, she leaned over and saw a schematic of some kind on the screen that he was making notes on. When he noticed, he closed the laptop and sat it on the coffee table and fell over onto her legs, head on her lap.

"You know, I always thought having a female around would be annoying," He admitted. "But you're actually pretty quiet."

"I've been reading," She laughed, running her fingers through his pony tail. "You haven't seen me when I walk around trying to cook, the phone between my ear and shoulder while I try to explain something to one of the girls."

"As long as you're wearing what you're wearing now, I don't think I'd mind," He admitted. Unable to stop herself, she lightly tugged a lock of hair, earning a playful pinch. Within moments it had turned into something far more competitive, and active. His claws skittered along her side and she flailed, unable to stop the spasms of her body as he tickled her.

When they hit the floor it was with a solid thump, although she had managed to land on top of him.

"You do these things on purpose," She accused playfully.

"Maybe," He conceded, tugging on a lock of her hair to pull her face closer to his. The kiss was soft, at odds with their roughhousing. His hands moved to her bottom, reaching under the loose waistband and slipping over her skin. Immediately a thrill shot through her, awareness of him sending a delicate shudder through her, rippling beneath her skin. For a moment she allowed it, kissing him back as her hands traveled up to his chest. A rough groan vibrated over her tongue before she pulled back to nip his upper lip. His eyes looked almost dazed, and she smiled, hopefully a wicked smile, and pushed herself off of him, pulling herself back up onto the couch.

"So," She said, looking down at him, only just able to contain her amusement. His hands were still in the air, and he almost looked confused, as if he didn't quite believe the he was only holding air, and not her. "What's for dinner?"

When he remained that way for another moment, face contorting into an expression of bewilderment, she burst into peals of delighted laughter. A strangled sound erupted from his throat, and he was sitting up, glaring at her as if she had just offered him a birthday present, but the box was empty.

"Dirty trick," He growled, although she saw the corners of his lips twitching up.

"I'm not allowed to kiss you?" She asked innocently.

"That was more than just a kiss," He started.

"I wouldn't know. I need a teacher, isn't that what you said?"

"Smart ass," He muttered, standing and walking over to the kitchen.

Helping him cook wasn't as simple as she had thought it would be. The kitchen itself was small, and they bumped into one another more often than not. She was beginning to get frustrated when he grabbed her by the hips and sat her on the counter.

"Stay put."

Sputtering indignantly as he turned back to the stove, she was about to slide down when he shot a warning glance in her direction. Crossing her arms, she stayed seated on the counter until he flipped the steaks and turned to her, arms resting on either side of her body.

"I think it's time I showed you something," He declared softly, moving to press his lips to hers lightly before moving across her cheek, his breath puffing against her ear before he moved down, nipping at her neck and then her shoulder through the shirt.

Her body immediately began to respond to the light nips through her clothes, and when he tugged at her nipple through the cloth she felt her breath catch in her throat before he was moving lower, bending and nuzzling her stomach. Careless of his pony tail, she threaded her fingers into his hair, instinctively spread her legs when she felt his teeth lightly on her thigh. Warmth pooled between her legs and she felt him nuzzle the area, providing minute pressure. Her hips twitched as her legs spread wider.

And he was moving away, turning back to the stove as if he had done nothing at all. Her hands grasped at empty air before clenching into fists.

"You-" She started, flushing hotly.

"Don't want to burn dinner," He supplied, smirking over at her. Glaring sullenly, she crossed her arms and slammed her legs closed, keeping them so tightly together that her thighs began to ache. It was a welcome distraction from the tingling that had begun to spread from her sex to her stomach, a heat that had begun to grow only to abruptly stop. Her indignation proved to be ice water to the small spark that had begun to bloom and she hummed angrily.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," He told her, reaching past her to open the cabinet and pull out plates. "Is rare alright? I can leave it on longer."

"Rare is fine," She grudgingly admitted, still slightly miffed that he had teased her in such a way. While she knew it was illogical to be frustrated after she had done something similar, logic wasn't making the discomfort go away.

"Stop frowning, or I'll do something worse," He threatened.

"Oh?" She asked, immediately bristling.

"I'll eat your dinner too," He told her, slipping the steaks onto the plates and walking over to the couch. Kagome supposed that the table was there for show, considering that they had yet to eat on it. But she grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and followed him into the living room. Dinner proceeded in relative silence, the only sound coming from the television as they ate. When she finished, he grabbed her plate -having finished his own steak within minutes- and took them back to the kitchen. She heard the sounds of him rinsing and putting them in the dishwasher, and was reaching for the riding manual when he came back over and took it from her hands.

"What?" She asked, seeing his grin.

He said nothing, but he did kneel on the floor his arms on her legs and his head tilted just a fraction. It was impossible to miss the amusement in his eyes.

"Kouga, what are you doing?" She asked, beginning to grow perturbed by his smile.

"You're cute when you have no idea, you know that?"

"You said the same thing about when I'm annoyed."

"Remind me to annoy and confuse you more often."

"I'll make a note of it," She retorted wryly.

He heaved a sigh and she felt as much as saw him shifting, his face coming up to meet hers. At first he didn't kiss her, his teeth nipping lightly at her chin. Tilting her head down, she brushed her lips against his, expecting a deeper kiss. But he was traveling lower, down her neck and nipping at her shoulders, reminding her of earlier.

"Kouga, if you do it again, I might kick you," She stuttered when he ran his hands under her shirt. There was something decidedly sensual about his hands, rough from work, moving over her skin, contrasting with it's softness. He pushed her shirt up over her breasts and she tugged it off, feeling strangely conspicuous since he was still dressed from going to the store that morning. But he said nothing, his mouth traveling over her skin. The path of warmth his lips and teeth created spread until she was trembling, over sensitive and aching for more direct contact.

A tug at the waistband of the shorts made her lift her hips and she was completely bared. Warm breaths puffed over her skin and she looked down, suddenly nervous. Even though she'd never had sex with anyone, she hadn't been deaf to the horror stories of her friends, nor to their tips and suggestions. Though she'd never considered them, the idea that he might not like whatever it was he saw, she began to close her legs, only to have his hands hold them in place.

"Relax," He commanded roughly, breath brushing against her sex and making her twitch. She felt his nose first, nuzzling her slit lightly before his lips moved over her, his tongue sweeping up the seam of her lips and over her clit. Shuddering beneath him at the foreign contact, her legs opened wider and her hips tilted.

Slick and hot, his tongue flicked against her, circling and lapping against her sex, pushing into her and teasing her with the promise of fulfillment. Her whole chest felt hot as heat burned through her, and when he sucked on the bundle of nerves that was so sensitive it bordered on painful, she threaded her fingers through his hair, determined to keep him close as waves of pleasure radiated from her core, each one stronger than the last until it felt like she was suffocating, barely able to draw breath.

The tightness that had been curling and coiling relaxed abruptly, dropping her from the edge and letting her fall, spiraling into the softness of the couch. Shuddering as her body finally relaxed, she didn't protest when he picked her up, only wrapping her legs around his waist and clinging to his shoulders. The bed was soft beneath her when he almost dropped her onto it.

There was something urgent about his movements as he shed his clothing. Still riding the heady, almost drunken pleasure, she rubbed her legs together, delighting in the light friction it produced as he put on a condom. When he knelt on the bed she spread her legs, rubbing her calves over his hips as he moved closer, shuddering at the heat the rolled off of him in waves.

It was almost too much as he pushed into her, the pleasure that had abated returning. He wasn't gentle, each thrust coming more quickly as he drove into her, the pain of being stretched so completely blooming into pleasure as she struggled to draw breath. Claws dug into her thighs, pricking through the mindless pleasure with pricks of cold that wrenched a cry from her throat.

Claws dug into her hips, holding her as he moved back and forth. She didn't feel the blanket in her hands as she gripped for something, anything to keep her tenuous hold on reality as he pushed her higher into the sky until the air thinned and she was breathing nothing but her own moans and the broken syllables of his name as light exploded in her vision.

Sweat slick and shuddering, he leaned forward, hands following the curves of her stomach and ribs to meet beneath her back. He leaned over her, burying his face in the crook of his neck as he continued to tremble. She could still feel him inside of her, throbbing and pulsing. Every atom of her felt as if it had moved a few inches apart from each other, making her feel as if she was floating somewhere above the bed and the only thing holding her together was him.

With each gasp for breath and every beat of her heart she felt herself coming back, exhausted and satiated until she was rolling onto her side, moving him effortlessly with her.

"Not going to kick me are you?" He finally asked, eyes meeting her own.

"I don't think I have the energy to," She admitted.

"Perfect."

 

* * *

 

When they packed everything into the truck, she couldn't stop the eager smile that resisted all efforts to hide it and jumped into the front seat. She had the two manuals he had bought for her in hand and opened the maintenance manual. As they drove, she read aloud and and stopped now and again to listen to basic explanations he gave her, along with different scenarios.

Knowing that they wouldn't be riding, she had opted for shorts and a plain shirt, even going with the flip flops she had brought along. With the windows down it was hard to focus on the manual entirely, and after an hour she sat them in the back seat and propped her bare feet on the dashboard, sticking her tongue out when he made a disgruntled sound, taking a moment to remind him of the way he propped his feet on the coffee table.

The ride itself was quick, and when they arrived she watched him argue with the parking attendants, a bemused smile twitching on her lips when she saw him looming over the scrawny attendant. Within minutes he was in the truck and driving onto the ferry's parking deck, grumbling under his breath. The parking attendant that was actually on the ferry immediately recognized Kouga and waved his hands, not in greeting, but to ward him off as he backed away, putting space between himself and the disguised youkai.

Kouga continued to grumble all the way to the room, which proved to be just as cramped as the one they had shared before. She sat her bag down calmly and turned to him, surprised to see that he was still frowning.

"You know," She pointed out, drawing his attention to her. "Tomorrow we're going to be with our friends again."

"Yeah," He said, not looking at her as he pulled off his boots. Shrugging once, she decided not to push it.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

"You took one this morning," He grunted, dropping the boot. She wasn't even looking at him when she made an affirmative noise and stepped into the cramped bathroom, closing the door behind her. Turning the water on and quickly shedding her clothes, she stepped in and pulled the curtain closed. Less than a minute later she heard the door open and he was peeking into the shower, a chagrined smile letting her know that he had finally caught on.

"I'm an idiot," He said, eyes going over her skin.

"Maybe," She giggled. When he pulled the curtain back she saw that he had already stripped, and when he stepped in she was forced against the back wall of the tiny shower.

"Maybe the shower isn't the best place," She began, stopping when his grin turned into a wolfish, almost smug smile.

"I'm a youkai, we'll be fine."

Less than ten minutes later they were both staring at the broken curtain rod that she had accidentally pulled down while looking for something stable besides the youkai holding her up before he was ignoring the shower and leaving it on -again- and walking into the room, tossing her onto the bed.

 

* * *

 

Proving that youkai possessed a stamina most mortal men would murder to possess, the only break they took was to watch the sunrise the next morning, and she had firmly decided that men's boxers were far more comfortable than women's pajama pants. When they finally returned to their room she curled up into his side to get a few hours of sleep before docking and having to deal with her friends, who would probably see her and be able to guess everything that happened.

But when they disembarked, Kouga arguing -again- to be allowed to drive his truck out, she felt the familiar spark of youki and turned, surprised to see all of her friends walking toward her, arms waving as they called out her name.

"Kagome-wow," Ginta said when he got close, eyes widening.

"What?" She asked, wondering if Kouga had left a hickey or bruise that was visible. She had checked in the mirror and not been able to see anything, but that didn't mean something hadn't come to the surface as she slept.

"Fun trip?" Hakkaku asked with a sly grin.

"Yeah. I got to read some interesting manuals," She defended, feeling a bit too exposed by the smirks dancing on the wolf youkai's faces.

"Reading."

"I bet."

"I did," She retorted hotly.

"What are you assholes doing here?" Kouga demanded. Kagome turned, grateful that he was there. Hopefully he would be able to stop the two other ookami from insinuating anything too blatant.

"Dude, couldn't you guys have showered first?" Ginta asked, arms crossing.

"You reek of sex," Hakkaku confirmed.

Kagome was about to start in on a tirade, but was surprised when Ayumi stepped in for her, firmly smacking first Hakkaku and then Ginta on the chest.

"What they decide to do is their business you two," Ayumi stated firmly. "Don't embarrass them."

Hakkaku made a strangled sound, something that could have been laughter, except a stern glare from Ayumi stopped it before it had the chance to fully form.

"So did he tell you?" Yuka asked, practically bouncing.

"About what?" Kagome asked.

"About your present!" Eri chimed in.

"You guys knew?" Kagome demanded, looking at all of her friends, who were nodding happily. She turned to Kouga, torn between hugging him for managing to somehow keep it a surprise even when he disappeared and wanting to smack him for trusting Yuka and Eri of all people with a secret. "You told them why you were leaving, but not me?" She asked sweetly.

"No, they told them. And I have to go get the truck," He said, expression hinting at his nervousness. She watched him stride away, leaving her alone with her five friends, all of whom looked ready to begin demanding information at any second.

"So that box," Yuka began.

"I could kill you. Blue shirt my foot," Kagome muttered.

"Then in that case, can I have it back?" Yuka asked, arms crossing and a smug smile forming. Kagome was about to tell her friend where she could put the box when she remembered that Kouga hadn't purchased the same kind while they were at the store, which meant it would be an entirely different kind, and her friend would notice.

"Shut up," Kagome muttered, flushing hotly when Yuka let out a triumphant shout.

"Seriously though," Ginta said. "A shower wouldn't have killed you."

"There wasn't one on the ferry," She lied.

"Bull, we had the economy rooms and they still had showers," Hakkaku rebutted.

"You're blushing really red little sister," Ginta added, the sly smile growing ever wider. Kagome had never felt more put on the spot than at that very moment, and she looked for something, anything to change the subject.

"Taki wants us all to come for dinner after the vacation is over," She blurted.

"Taki?" Ayumi asked.

Kagome immediately regretted her decision. How would Taki take Ayumi's almost passive, soft spoken shyness? An image of a steamroller hitting an especially adorable, wide eyed kitten came to mind and Kagome shuddered, running a hand through her hair.

"Taki invited you to dinner?" Ginta asked, eyes wide.

"Us," Kagome corrected. "Before she hit me in the head with her cane."

"Oh, that just means she likes you," Hakkaku said. Kagome saw Ayumi's almost frightened expression and made a note to ask if it would be okay for her friend to join them, or if it was even a good idea. The image of the steamroller persisted, and she wasn't entirely sure she could subject her friend to that.

"Oi, Kagome," Kouga called out. Kagome turned and saw the truck idling, the trailer behind it.

"See you guys at the hotel?" She asked.

"Sure you don't need some alone-" Ginta started.

"If you finish that I'll tell Kouga that you were telling me his secrets," Ayumi threatened. Surprisingly Ginta shut up, and even Hakkaku looked worried. Ayumi turned to Kagome and smiled, and Kagome wondered if Ayumi was as shy as she thought, or if the ookami had been pulling her further out of her own shell.

"Go ahead. We'll meet you guys at the hotel. You can both shower. Separately," She added, tossing a warning glance at both youkai. Kagome nodded, unsure how she felt about the qualifier, but knowing they probably did need a shower, or else she would be enduring taunts and innuendo from Ginta and Hakkaku all night.

However, it turned out that even though they did shower separately, and thoroughly for that matter, she still had to endure mild innuendo from the ookami and more blatant jokes from Eri and Yuka. By the time they walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner, she was ready to pull her hair out. The only consolation was that Kouga seemed to be almost as embarrassed by the attention as she was.

What had started as embarrassment quickly turned into mortification that shifted into anger. The only saving grace was that Yuka and Eri both invited their summer flings, and when the two new males showed up conversation quickly devolved to motorcycle and car talk, which quickly turned into a debate over which was better, cars or motorcycles.

Kagome could see that the youkai were clearly not impressed by Ken and Heiken, easily arguing everything the men mentioned. Yuka and Eri both looked on adoringly at their chosen partners, and she and Ayumi couldn't help but roll their eyes from time to time and giggling, sharing their own secret view, one they didn't have to confirm by actually speaking.

Obviously growing tired of the debate itself, Yuka suggested they all go see a movie. Kagome, still tired despite her short nap on the ferry, declined politely, ignoring the not so subtle guesses as to what she supposedly wanted to go do.

Ayumi, surprisingly, cited sleepiness as well. The others left, leaving only her and Ayumi with the three youkai at the table.

"At least she paid the tab," Kouga grumbled. "Her taste in men runs to morons though."

"They know absolutely nothing about cars," Hakkaku chuckled.

"I hope they don't bring them back again," Ayumi sighed, rubbing her face. "You have no idea what they're like when they're drunk. I wish I could have gone back to Tokyo with you," She said, looking at Kagome.

"Since we have an early start, you want to crash at my place?" Kouga asked, looking down at her. Kagome saw Ayumi's almost pleading expression and felt a needle of guilt. Even though she had wanted to spend time with her friends before college, she had been focusing on Kouga so much that she had barely spent any time at all with them, especially Ayumi, who she was closer to.

"I'm not going to leave Ayumi to hold down the fort," She said, shrugging. "I wouldn't want to be left alone with that bunch."

"She can crash in one of our rooms," Hakkaku offered.

"I can crash on Hakkaku's floor," Ginta added.

Kagome noticed the blush on her friend's cheeks and looked from her to the two youkai. It was obvious Ginta and Hakkaku both liked the shy girl, had been almost immediately, and to all appearances they had grown closer during her short trip back to Tokyo. Worried that some sort of rivalry might form, might already be forming, she gave Kouga a worried glance. However, he seemed entirely oblivious to it, making a joke about something Ken had said during the argument.

"It's up to you," She told Ayumi.

"It would be nice to avoid it," Her friend admitted, face burning.

"That settles it," Kouga said, standing and stretching. "You can toss your bag in the truck and we'll meet you guys there. Unless you want to ride with us," He offered. "I don't know if you and Kagome need to have girl time or something."

"I can ride on one of the bikes," She stammered, and she was the shy girl Kagome remembered again. Resolving to talk to her friend, and soon, about what was going on, she followed Kouga out, fingers lacing with his own.

She did go in with Ayumi while the youkai waited outside. When they were in the elevator and Kagome was sure they couldn't be heard by the ookami, she turned to her friend, the question already on her lips.

"It's not what you think," Ayumi said before the question had been voiced. "They're wonderful guys, but I'm not interested in that sort of thing," She said, eyes locked on the floor even as they stepped out of the elevator to the room. "It's just been nice to be around people not constantly doing something crazy or wild for the sake of summer vacation."

Kagome wondered if that was a not so subtle hint that Ayumi wasn't happy with her behavior, or if it was frustration from dealing with Yuka and Eri in her absence.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around more. I should have stayed here," Kagome began.

"No!" Ayumi said, eyes widening as she paused mid slide, the key card resting in the lock. "Not you. You're different. Kouga and you, you both seem to care for each other a lot," Ayumi observed, opening the door and walking in. "I guess it's because you used to know each other. But Yuka and Eri, they keep acting like it's the end of the world if they don't go out and get drunk and find the guys and go to clubs and everything. And I know they don't really care about the guys and the guys don't care about them at all. It's like they're trying to fulfill an idea."

Kagome realized the truth of Ayumi's statement, surprised by the depth of the observation.

"Everyone has ideas of what summer should be like, especially before they go off to college," Kagome murmured quietly, a halfhearted defense of how their friends had been acting.

"I know, it's just frustrating. You and Kouga, I mean, a man doesn't just give a woman a motorcycle, not unless he's rich or something. And Ginta and Hakkaku told me he hasn't really been interested in someone in a long time. It reminded me of you. Eri and Yuka, it's like their behavior only got more intense when they came out here. You, you didn't do anything like that in high school. And you're not treating him like a summer fling. I'm glad you're happy, after everything, you deserve it."

Kagome nodded, watching her friend pack a small bag with jeans and a couple of shirts, tossing in her swimsuit for good measure.

"Ginta and Hakkaku have been keeping me company. I think they could tell I was getting lonely. But they're friends, that's all."

Kagome nodded, not fully trusting what Ayumi told her to be the truth. Maybe Ayumi couldn't see it, but the two ookami were falling over themselves to please her. The only other explanation was that they had adopted her as pack, in their own way, which didn't seem as likely. Likewise, Ayumi seemed to be attracted to one of them, although she might not be fully aware of it, or if she was, she was hiding it.

"Alright. After I go riding tomorrow, you want to hit the spa? I'll probably need it," Kagome commented quietly.

"Sounds good," Ayumi giggled.

When they got back downstairs, Ayumi already had her jacket on, helmet in hand. Kagome was carrying the bag and waved to her friend, promising to meet her at the hotel before getting into the truck.

"Everything alright?" Kouga asked, pulling out of the lot ahead of the two motorcycles.

"Ginta and Hakkaku, they're close, right?" Kagome asked slowly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just this thing with Ayumi," She sighed. "I don't want something bad to happen."

"They are pretty stupid for her. Don't worry, they'll sort it out. A woman won't split them up," He assured her. "If your friend is interested in one of them, they'll figure it out."

His easy assurance in them did little to soothe her worry. Maybe it was a lack of faith spawned by what she had seen her friends endure, most of it self inflicted, when it came to relationships. Even though she knew the feudal era had been an exception in many ways, Ginta and Hakkaku were youkai, which made them exceptions too.

"Stop worrying," He told her, draping an arm out the window and continuing to look straight ahead. "Things work out."

She wasn't so sure.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Dubious consent, possessive/feral behavior

Never, not once in her life, could she remember feeling so unattractive. Between the armor built into the base layer of clothing she wore to the armor built into the jacket and pants, she looked lumpy. In fact, she didn't even look female, especially once she had the helmet on. It didn't help that Ginta and Hakkaku had insisted on watching, explaining everything to an avidly attentive Ayumi. Added to that, even though it was early sweat was already beginning to bead between her shoulder blades and breasts. Her breath was hot inside of the helmet as she straddled the bike.

It felt strange, leaning forward to grip the handlebars.

Her stomach clenched nervously and for a moment she wondered if she could do it after all.

"Open it up slowly," Kouga shouted, barely heard through the helmet.

She opened the throttle slowly, determined not to be surprised when the bike began to move forward. Exhaling slowly, she began to move her legs back to the pegs. The bike jolted forward, her hand tightening and shifting it as she moved. Squeezing her hand on the break, the bike jolted and slowed.

Feeling like a child that had just had the training wheels removed from her bicycle, she kept her weight centered, going slowly down the flat stretch of the track. Every time it felt like she was going too fast, she applied the front break.

Breathing out, she heard Kouga telling her to open it up more and did as he said, feeling the bike begin to speed up. The walls of her throat suddenly seemed to constrict and she applied the break only to feel the bike begin wobbling precariously. Instinctively tightening her grip, the bike stopped wobbling.

Because it was leaning over, tipping with her still on it.

Desperate not to be pinned under the bike, still scared of the stories she had read in the manual, she pushed against the bike, her reflexes kicking in and helping her throw herself from the motorcycle in a split second.

Her body thumped onto the pavement, and though it was a thud, it wasn't painful. It knocked the breath from her lungs, but it didn't feel like anything had broken.

Kouga was leaning over her, eyes narrowed with concern. Lifting her hand, she gave him a thumbs up and accepted the hand to pull her up.

"You're using the front brake too much," Kouga told her. "You're tightening it too much. You need to balance between the back and front brakes."

She nodded, walking over to the bike and picking it up. She gave it a once over, checking the gas tank and the fairing for cracks. It had fallen so that only a small area was scratched. Sighing, she hoped Kouga wouldn't be too angry and straddled it again.

It was easier this time, now that she knew what to expect. She was actually able to smoothly glide to the corner, where Kouga had told her to turn and come back. Feeling overconfident, she took the turn, going right, and felt the bike tipping. Her hand rolled the throttle and the bike sped up, making it impossible to use her foot for balance, which she knew was wrong, but couldn't stop anyway.

This time the bike landed on her leg.

Suddenly she was thanking Kouga for making it so light, because it felt like a safe had landed on her leg and pinned it to the ground. Unable to imagine anything heavier, she pushed on the seat of the bike and got from beneath it. Kouga was already there, helping her up and holding her shoulders. This time it was impossible to miss his concern.

"I'm fine," She told him, bending both legs to demonstrate her point. He nodded and helped pick the motorcycle up. This time he checked it over, and she couldn't help but feel a little irritated that he didn't trust her to do it. Keeping her frustration to herself out of fear that he would stop the lesson, she straddled the bike and waved him off, determined to do a good job.

Recalling what she had read, it was easier to apply. This time she also paid more attention to her body and the bike, the road no longer stretching on in the distance, but only twenty feet ahead of her.

When she came to a curve, she tilted the handlebars and took it smoothly, almost letting out a whoop of delight as she managed to keep the bike itself upright. Slowly turning, she felt it lean and compensated, feeling it tip the other way and wobble dangerously.

Heaving a frustrated grunt, she righted it and completed the turn, going back to Kouga, who was watching her with a hand over his eyes to shield them from the light. He nodded approvingly and watched her pass him, making no other move to let her know she was doing alright or to tell her to stop.

Taking that as a not so subtle hint to continue, she kept going. Shifting, she felt the bike speed up and felt a rush of adrenaline even though she wasn't going quickly. It was faster than she had ever gone on her own, and there was a sort of rush just from the knowledge of control itself.

Knowing he would probably be angry but desperate to go farther than before, she continued through the first curve and took it smoothly, surprised by how easily the machine responded to her. And it responded to her. The subtle distinction between instinct and fear settled on her, and she focused on instinct, her body easily moving the motorcycle as she slowly took part of the lap before coming to another curve. She took it perfectly, but wobbled when she saw Kouga standing ahead.

Slowing, she was at a complete stop when she came to him. Pushing up her shield, she waited for the tirade that his frown portended.

"I told you to turn before taking the curves," He reminded her.

"I'm sorry," She murmured sheepishly.

"You're doing good," He said instead. "Your steering is perfect."

"The book helped," She admitted. "It's a lot easier now that I know what it was talking about."

"Alright. But don't go further. I want to be able to get to you in time, and with your friend here-"

She immediately understood what he meant. Though she had no doubt he would use his youkai abilities to get to her as quickly as possible, explaining the ability itself would prove difficult, and she didn't want to force him into that decision.

"I'll stay close," She promised.

He nodded and she pushed the shield back down and turned the bike.

The next hour went smoothly. She went back and forth, turning perfectly. When Kouga waved her down, she pulled over to him and turned the bike off. Pushing her shield back up, she gave him an inquisitive glance.

"Breakfast. Now that I know you won't vomit, we can grab some grub and come back."

She nodded and pushed the kickstand down and moved to get off the bike.

And tipped both herself and the bike over.

Kouga caught her and pulled her away in time, the motorcycle on the ground.

Her legs were killing her!

"Forgot to mention that," Kouga muttered.

"It's worse than when I was just riding behind you," She muttered, trying to step away and finding herself with a strange sense of vertigo. Swaying dangerously, she felt Kouga's hands on her shoulders steadying her.

"It can be disorienting, especially at first. Just stay still for a minute."

"The bike-"

"It's fine. You need to just get your bearings."

They stayed that way for several more minutes, until her body grew used to being upright. Kouga bent to right the bike and began walking for the paddock. Kagome followed, her feet still feel strangely puffy, even numb, as if she wasn't quite hitting the ground beneath her feet. Tugging her helmet off, she looked over to Kouga, who was smiling a sort of half smile.

"Is it alright?" She asked.

"Looks like it. I'll give it a once over before you take it back out. The fairing is aluminum so you'll ding it more than breaking anything."

"Was that intentional?" She asked shrewdly, surprised by his shrug.

"No one is graceful the first time they get on. I figured you needed something that could take a beating."

"What about you?"

"I told you I wasn't exactly the paragon of ridership when I first started," He snorted, giving her a look that was half frustrated, half amused. "The guys weren't either. Everything considered, you're not doing bad."

Kagome wished that sounded more reassuring than it did. When they got back inside, she quickly stripped down to the base garments and grabbed her bag, heading for the changing room. Eschewing a shower for later, she changed into her normal clothing and walked out, the bulky protective gear in her arms. The others were waiting, Ayumi chattering excitedly.

"I'm starving," Kagome admitted as she walked over to them, putting the gear back in the box with a grateful sigh. It wasn't that she disliked the gear, which if she admitted to herself, she did dislike it. It was hot and heavy and bulky. But it wasn't uncomfortable and it did keep her safe. It did not make her like it any more however.

"Let's get out of here for a bit," Kouga chuckled, throwing an arm over her shoulder. She flinched, surprised by the soreness, and he stopped, looking down at her with concern. "You guys go on ahead, we'll be up in a minute."

The others walked out, still speaking in an excited babble that echoed and rebounded in the paddock. Once they were gone, Kouga gave her a worried glance.

"Take off your shirt."

"This isn't the place-"

"Now."

Something about his voice told her that arguing would not only be pointless, but probably a bad idea. Doing as he said, she waited for him to walk around her. He paused at her back, a hand going to her shoulder.

"You've got a bruise forming. It's not huge but-"

"But?" She asked, worried at the anxiety in his voice. His hand wasn't moving, but it was resting very lightly over her skin, as if afraid to apply any pressure.

"Do you need to stop for the day?"

"No," She gasped, turning on her heels to face him. "It's just a bruise, I'm fine. The gear is doing a good job of protecting me."

He looked doubtful, and for the first time she wondered if he was regretting the offer to teach her.

"Maybe-"

"Maybe what?" She asked when he paused. It was a dramatic, nerve wracking pause, one that made her stomach clench nervously.

"You're human-"

"Lots of humans ride motorcycles," She replied, tugging her shirt back on and giving him a flat look. "I can either learn from you or from someone else. I'm not giving up."

He looked ready to say something, and determined to keep him from even thinking about backing out of teaching her, she shook her head and crossed her arms. She even affected her mother's hip tilt, knowing the effect it had on both herself and her brother even after years of seeing it. Kouga's frown only deepened, as if calling her actions.

"Kouga, I will learn. I'm going to get bruises. I'm going to get hurt. But lots of humans do it. You're not exclusive because you're youkai. You can teach me here or I can learn elsewhere. But I will learn." The last sentence was said firmly, and there was no way he could mistake the determination behind them, which had been exactly why she had said it that way. Ookami were stubborn from what she had seen, and protective. She was not going to be blocked from learning because he was worried about her after a bruise.

"Alright," He conceded. "But-"

"Kouga, I'm wearing two tons of protective gear, I'm on a track where there is no traffic to speak of. With you teaching me. There's no way for me to be any safer," She interrupted, voice flat. He nodded, acknowledging defeat.

"Fine," He said, taking her hand.

"I'll be safe," She promised, lacing her fingers through his as they walked inside. He was quiet until they stepped back out into the fresh air, blue eyes troubled.

"It's not you I'm worried about doing something stupid."

"I understand the risk. After Taki, how could I not understand it?" She asked. "But I want to do this."

His face darkened at the mention of Taki, and she immediately regretted bringing it up. Maybe she should have just stuck with saying she had accepted the risk. Seeing Taki limp with her cane and her prosthetic leg had been an eye opener, and it was one she was still sorting through emotionally. But even though she'd been faced with one of the worst outcomes of riding, she didn't want to give it up.

"Come on," She urged him, nudging him with her body. "You were excited this morning. And I'm excited. I don't think I could bear it if you were unhappy now. I want us to do this together."

"Alright," He sighed.

But despite his words, he unhitched the trailer from the truck and hopped into the automobile instead of pulling his motorcycle from the back. The others looked at them questioning and she shrugged, unsure if he was still worried about her being on a motorcycle or if he was giving her body time to rest. Not willing to argue with him, he was the one teaching her after all, she got in the front with him, not saying anything.

Breakfast was a strangely quiet affair, one that felt strained in it's silence. Kagome fidgeted nervously and couldn't stop the relieved sigh when Ayumi mentioned going to the bathroom, an oblique blink in her direction. Eagerly walking to the restroom with Ayumi, she leaned against the wall when her friend ignored the stalls and leaned against the sinks, arms crossing.

"He's worried about me. I got a bruise and he's just-" How to explain that he was a youkai and trusted his ability to heal and not hers? The more she thought about it, the more she worried, and not for herself.

"Talk to him about it," Ayumi suggested. "He rides, so obviously he's aware of what can happen. Let him know that you are too."

Kagome nodded, knowing that even if she did, the ookami would still worry. There was no way to tell her best friend that unless she somehow became immortal that Kouga would see it as a huge risk. And it was. But it was less of a risk than say, facing Naraku, or traveling through feudal Japan with a bit of broken quartz that had attracted everything from impish kitsune to psychotic, deranged youkai and even more psychotic humans.

Which, once she thought about it, made the idea of riding a motorcycle seem almost like child's play. Surely if she could defeat Naraku while handling the emotional fallout of her first real crush being in love with her because of her previous incarnation, she could handle anything. Right?

"It'll be alright. He's worried about you because he cares, remember that, okay?" Ayumi reminded her quietly. Kagome nodded and they walked back out. Kagome saw Kouga's expression and felt mildly relieved. Obviously the ookami had all been talking and Kouga had been giving a similar lecture. When she sat down she leaned against him and shoved him gently with her body.

"Smile."

"Or else what?" He grumped, giving her an over exaggerated frown, although the amusement in his eyes was clear to see, immediately relaxing any lingering traces of anxiety that had persisted.

"I'll taze you."

"Taze-" Ayumi asked.

"Only way to get old dogs to listen," Kagome said, looking to her friend and ignoring the choked sputters coming from next to her.

"Old dog?" Ginta asked, brow raised.

"Seems little sister has everything under control then."

"Hey," Kouga grumped, crossing his arms.

And things were back to the way they were, the rest of breakfast going easily, the conversation flowing smoothly, laughter erupting several times. When Kouga's arm reached across her shoulder, she relaxed into the simple comfort and joked with her friends, mind already on the track.

But when they left and got in the truck, both Kagome and Kouga turned to one another, eyes widening when their mouths opened at the same time, the beginnings of a word coming out, suspiciously akin to 'I'.

"Kouga, I'm sorry," She sighed.

"No, there's no reason for you to be. I overreacted."

Kagome was not going to admit that she agreed with that at all, knowing it wouldn't help what she was going to say next.

"When I was fifteen, I faced down Naraku and put the jewel back together and lost my friends," She said quietly. "I fought youkai and humans and hanyou. If my mom had known what it was really like, I'm pretty sure she never would have let me back in the well. Actually, I'm sure she would have destroyed it. That's why she still thinks of it as a grand adventure instead of it being-"

"Horror," Kouga supplied when she tried to think of a word. Kagome nodded, taking his hand in hers.

"A whole part of my life was closed off from me. It hurt," She admitted. "But it taught me something most people don't learn until later, I think. I want to cherish everything I do have at that moment, and do the things that make me happy. I'm scared things will go away again, and I want to hold onto them and experience them before they do."

Kouga was quiet for several moments, regarding her evenly. His hand squeezed her lightly and he finally nodded, and she would swear that while he smiled, there was a flicker of resignation in his eyes.

"I understand. The guys said something like that."

Kagome nodded, leaning forward to hug him before sitting back and putting on her seatbelt.

They drove with the windows down, and she turned on the radio. The tension had broken, although she wondered if he was hiding his personal feelings in light of her confession.

* * *

The hands rubbing her back soothed away tension that she had not, until that day, believed possible. A relieved groan built in her chest and escaped into the air. Ayumi, on the table next to her, giggled lightly, turning her head to look at Kagome.

"You sound like an old tree in the wind," Ayumi observed.

"Far too poetic for how I feel right now," Kagome muttered, trying not to arch into the hands of the masseuse. "I didn't think leaning like that would hurt so much. It feels like my arms are going to fall off."

And they did. Two more hours of practice and she hadn't noticed the pain, not at first. But her whole body felt sore, like she'd run a marathon, which made no sense. Kouga had told her to go relax in one of the hotsprings and she had taken that as a direct order to go to one of the spas and get the royal treatment. What had been slightly strange at first was now a welcome relief from the practice she had put in at the track.

"When we go back to Tokyo I'm finding a massuse and going once a week, maybe more," Kagome groaned, the last word dragging out and ending in a muffled moan when the technician found a knot in her upper arm and kneaded it.

"Is it worth it?" Ayumi asked, amusement still lighting her brown eyes, making them twinkle merrily.

"Of course. It's amazing," Kagome admitted. That was the one thing she would defend heatedly, perhaps because of Kouga's doubt. What had been a small worry still nagged when she was off of the motorcycle, but when she was on it, learning the simple basics of driving took over. What she had read combined with actual riding and she was finding it easier and easier to take the curves and make turns, although she wasn't going nearly as fast as she had hoped she would be.

"Are you going back out tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Kagome sighed. "Kouga says I need to work with obstacles, so we'll be doing that."

"It could be worse, you could be paying someone to learn," Ayumi pointed out. Kagome nodded, knowing that paying for lessons would have eaten into the meager fund she had brought with her to the island for vacation. Since it wasn't she actually felt better, more relaxed about being able to go buy things, although for the most part Kouga and Yuka had been taking care of it, something she still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about.

Ayumi's cell phone went off and Kagome almost told her friend not to answer it. When she heard Ayumi say Eri's name, she felt a flash of guilt. Even if her other friends were turning into party monsters, she hadn't spent much time with them either. After what she had told Kouga earlier, she remembered that she had wanted to spend time with all of her friends.

"Eri said there's some big DJ playing at a club nearby tonight," Ayumi said, turning to Kagome. "She's telling us we have to go, she got us on the VIP list."

"But-"

"Even the guys."

Well, that settled her initial argument, although she wasn't entirely sure how Kouga would feel about going to a club. But if he could live riding motorcycles, she supposed a club shouldn't be awful. Motorcycles and races were loud, very loud. A club couldn't be much louder. Although the scents of the building itself would be a trial, he endured Tokyo.

"I'll call," She sighed. The timing couldn't have been better, she supposed. And while she had been out dancing with her friends, she had never been to a club with a major DJ. Reaching for her phone, she flipped it open and quickly dialed Kouga's number, holding it to her ear and waiting patiently.

"Hey Kagome," Ginta answered cheerfully.

"Everything alright?" She asked, brow furrowing. Why was Ginta answering Kouga's phone?

"Yeah, boss is just talking to Hayate about something and left his phone with his bag. Whatcha need?"

"Yuka got us VIP into some club where some big DJ is playing, and I wanted to see if you guys were interested," She started, awaiting the inevitable let down.

Which never came.

"Sounds awesome. Want us to pick you girls up?"

Kagome turned to Ayumi, who was still on the phone with Eri.

"Do you want them to pick us up?" Kagome asked. Ayumi shook her head.

"Eri said it's girl time before we go, we can meet them there."

"What time, and where?" Kagome asked, realizing she didn't even know the name of the club.

"Zensoku, Eri says we'll get there at nine or so."

"Ugh, I'm going to need a nap," Kagome groaned. It was just past one according to her phone, and the idea of being out late after her day didn't really appeal. "Did you get that?"

"Sounds good little sister. We'll see you there."

"Thanks," She sighed, closing her phone and putting it back on the small stand next to her massage table. "This is going to be interesting."

"The guys not coming?" Ayumi asked.

"They are, just, I didn't figure them for the club types."

"They might be going for you," Ayumi reminded her.

"Us," Kagome snorted. "Someone has to keep us safe from Yuka's party animal."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. They'll probably be dancing with their boyfriends. You should too, you know. It is summer, and we are all on vacation."

"I don't know if Kouga even knows how to dance," Kagome admitted. "But I don't think he'd be the type. Besides, I'm not leaving you alone again."

"Thanks," Ayumi sighed gratefully, gratitude evident in the relaxing of her body. "I don't know if I could deal with being by myself in a club. So many people."

Kagome nodded, understanding in a way. She wasn't much for big crowds, but they could always skip out early. Yuka and Eri probably wouldn't even notice.

"So what are you going to wear?" Ayumi asked.

* * *

"No, not _that_ ," Kagome muttered, flushing hotly at the outfit Yuka had picked out. It was one of the tiny tops her friend had bought, a shirt that exposed almost all of her midriff. The only thing that kept it from looking like a sports bra were the sleeves and the high neck. It's only redeeming quality was that it was her favorite shade of purple, and she had a suspicion that her friend had bought it for her for just such an occasion, knowing that she liked the color.

But not the cut. Not by a long shot.

"You can wear pants with it," Yuka offered, as if negotiating.

There would be no negotiations, of that Kagome was certain.

"No."

"Kagome," Yuka wheedled.

"It's tiny, I'll look ridiculous."

"Kouga will like it," Yuka pointed out shrewdly, only to earn a dismissive sound.

"I doubt that." Because the wolf had been less than pleased when she joked about wearing his boxer shorts into public, and that shirt would reveal as much of her torso as allowed without getting her in trouble for indecent exposure.

"Kagome, do you even have anything else club appropriate?" Yuka asked, the worlds coming out in a frustrated huff.

Which made a good point. The only other thing she had that might be okay for a club was the tube top her friend had bought her at that store when they had been searching for race outfits, and she would rather wear the purple shirt. Maybe they had time to go grab some clothes, something that would cover her stomach.

"You don't. Okay, here's the deal. We can flip on it," Yuka offered. "Heads, you wear the shirt and whatever bottom I decide on. Tails, you can wear whatever you want and I won't complain the whole night."

That offer was too tempting to pass up. Her luck had been fairly smooth, especially given her lack of spills the second time she got on the motorcycle, and Kouga's attitude, which had gotten considerably better, especially once she had gotten off and proven to only be sore, not bruised or, as he had probably feared, broken in some way.

"Fine," She agreed, going to her purse and pulling out a coin. Yuka eagerly took it and flipped it in the air, catching it on top of her hand and slapping the other over it, a pleading expressing the ceiling before lifting her hand.

And a smile blossomed, the likes of which Kagome had rarely seen. She peered down at her friend's hand.

Heads.

In ten minutes she was wearing a short denim skirt that looked like it had been splashed with bleach and the hated top. With no bra, at Yuka's insistence.

"Kouga's going to kill me," Kagome muttered, running a hand through her hair. The only saving grace of the ordeal was that Yuka didn't have any make up that would survive the most likely humid conditions of the club, and she wasn't willing to chance anything running for any of them.

"Not even for Ken?" Kagome called out as Yuka changed in her room. Ayumi had likewise been pulled into wearing something, although it had only taken Yuka's gregariousness to bowl her over into submission, and no coin tosses. Ayumi was wearing a short skirt and a shirt that was baring her stomach, although it was a halter top with a v that dropped down beneath her friend's chest.

"They left this morning," Eri said, walking out of her room in a tiny dress that revealed more than it concealed.

"So you're going manhunting?" Kagome asked, brow raised quizzically.

"Maybe," Eri giggled, dropping onto the couch next to her and automatically adjusting her dress so that the top didn't fall below her breasts. Kagome rolled her eyes and shrugged, knowing immediately that her friend would probably be adjusting herself all night.

"Kagome, you should wear your jacket with it, open. It'll complete the look," Yuka called out.

The look? Kagome had no idea what look she was supposed to be going for to begin with. Not to mention the jacket would be stifling inside the club.

"Besides, you'll probably be riding back with Kouga won't you?"

"Maybe we should both bring our jackets," Kagome suggested, giving Ayumi an oblique glance before walking back to her room. Ayumi went to her own, but Kagome was still regarding herself in the mirror on the back of the door, jacket on.

"I look like something out of-"

"A magazine," Ayumi said. "You just need to let your hair down."

"I know I need to relax," Kagome muttered, still feeling like she was going to have someone ask her how much she charged for a night the minute they saw her.

"No, not figuratively, literally," Ayumi said, pointing to her head. Kagome looked in the mirror and tugged the elastic scrunchie from her hair and ran a hand through it.

"You look like one of those girls from the advertisements. I think Kouga will like it. You look like you ride a motorcycle," Ayumi said, voice clear with conviction. Kagome looked at her friend in the mirror and then back to herself.

She did look sort of like the girls that were featured in advertisements, although not nearly as beautiful, she told herself, eying herself critically. But for someone on the street, she didn't look bad. Shrugging she walked through the door and closed it behind her, wanting to get away from the mirror before she changed her mind.

"Let's go," Yuka crowed, Excitement making her voice tremble as she almost flew out of the hotel room. Eri followed, shimmying and dancing in circles.

"How do they do that in those heels?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide.

"No idea."

"We could lock them out," Ayumi whispered. "Stay in for a night."

"Will you two hurry up?" Yuka demanded loudly, voice echoing down the hallway and making Kagome and Ayumi burst into giggles as they exited into the hallway and walked to their friends. Kagome sent another small thanks to the heavens for the small allowance of tennis shoes instead of the strappy contraptions Yuka and Eri wore. Ayumi had not been able to escape it either, and though her friend walked with confidence, Kagome wasn't sure how long she would hold up on a dance floor, if she could get Ayumi to dance.

The drive was longer than Kagome anticipated, and it gave her plenty of time to become nervous with the clothing. Inhaling deeply, she kept her eyes on the road, wanting to roll the window down. But the moment she had tried Eri had said something about messing up her hair, and Kagome had been forced to concede. She wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with admitting that being in a car felt too foreign now, and the lack of rushing air felt almost suffocating in it's way.

But when they got out, the line waiting outside of the club stretched all the way around the side, and she felt slightly better. Not only because most of the women there were dressed in clothing that made hers look absolutely modest, but because it meant waiting.

Except Yuka walked over to the bouncer and gave him her name, talking to him rapidly and saying that they expected three others and giving him Kouga's 'name'. And then the doors opened and what had been merely a dull thudding became a full force blast of sound and heat as they walked in. She and Ayumi walked in more slowly than Yuka and Eri, who almost ran in.

There was a coat check, although she was loathe to part with the jacket in a strange setting. Good sense prevailed though, she knew she would end up passing out from heat if she didn't. Already she could feel herself begin to sweat, the club itself packed with people.

"Let's go dance!" Yuka demanded, tugging at her arm. Kagome looked to Ayumi, who was being pulled forward to the dance floor by Eri. The look they shared seemed to convey a mental shrug as they allowed themselves to be led to the dance floor.

The combination of the people around them not staring and the loud music vibrating through the air and floor into her body made it easier to relax and dance, ignoring the others around them in favor of dancing with each other. Ayumi was smiling widely, hands over her head, and even Kagome felt free to move her body and lose herself in the beat. Yuka and Eri stayed for a time, all four of them dancing in a small group before they departed, moving off to dance with others while she and Ayumi stayed.

Her heart slammed in her chest and she grew more daring with her moves, rolling her hips closing her eyes, imagining for a brief second she was in the air. Even Ayumi seemed lost in the music as they danced together. Sweat beaded her stomach and she could feel it between her breasts and in the small of her back. Her hair brushed against her bare skin as she swayed and moved. Light headed and almost dizzy she dragged in warm lungfuls of air, tilting her head back in the hope that she could find a cool current, although there was nothing.

What had been a bad idea initially was suddenly just a good time, and Kagome couldn't deny that she was having fun just dancing, ignoring everything else going on. The bass bounced and throbbed, pulsing through her until she was sure it was commanding her heartbeat to move in time. The flashing lights were disorienting, even behind closed lids, and the noise was deafening, combining into a roar that became simple thuds and bounces in the air and floor.

When hands settled on her waist she turned, surprised to see Kouga staring down at her with something akin to stunned disbelief. Immediately she felt self conscious, knowing what she must have looked like to him. Faltering, she began to step away when his hands pulled her closer, until she could feel the button of his jeans pressing into her bared stomach.

"You look wonderful," He told her, although she couldn't hear it, but could only read his lips. No longer flushing from the heat, but from sheer embarrassment, she smiled shyly up at him. He leaned down, lips brushing against her ear.

"You'll dance for strangers but not with me?" He asked, and this time she could hear it, and flushed even more deeply.

At first it was awkward, because she hadn't ever danced with a man before, not really. There had been occasional dances in passing, the kind that didn't even last a whole song. But he made it easy to settle into, his hand running up her sides and then back down, as if wanting to continue but only too aware of the crowd.

Her courage began to come back, sparked by his heated stare as she moved against him, rolling her hips again and feeling his hands tighten on her waist. Despite what she had thought, he seemed to be taking the noise without any problems, and he didn't seem to mind being there at all. If anything, he seemed focused solely on her, which might have been unnerving, given that he gaze was predatory and she knew exactly what he was beneath the glamor.

Shimmying her hips and undulating, she moved against him, their bodies getting pressed closer together as more people joined the dance floor. For a heated moment she felt claws pricking into her skin, making her shudder, but in the next moment they were gone and she was turning, her back to him as she moved.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that, dancing against one another, his hands roaming over her body, barely within the confines of propriety. Once or twice she felt the tips of claws again, and shivered at the promise his grip seemed to insinuate. But when she pulled him away from the dance floor and over to the bar, she was gasping and out of breath, her whole body tingling with awareness and her throat dry.

"Water," She shouted. He nodded, going to the bartender and talking to him. She turned, feeling someone knock into her. Ayumi was giggling and red faced, as out of breath as she was.

"Having fun?" Kagome asked. Ayumi nodded, hips still moving. Kouga came back, two bottles of water in hand. He gave one to Ayumi, and Kagome nodded to the doors leading outside to a patio area where people were milling about. They walked outside, trailed by Ginta and Hakkaku, who were each carrying a bottle of water. Kagome wondered if they had gotten one for Ayumi, because he handed one off to Kouga, who drank half of it in several quick swallows.

"Having fun yet?" Hakkaku asked, still having to speak loudly to be heard over the music.

"Yeah, yeah," Kouga muttered, rolling his eyes. "You were right."

Kagome realized that she had been correct, but let it go. They were all there, and they were all having fun. Well, almost all of them. She had no idea what had happened to her erstwhile friends, but she assumed it had something to do with their hunt for men, and wished them the best. Nothing could dampen the almost giddy euphoria.

"DJ isn't half bad," Ginta said.

"The girls are good dancers," Hakkaku chuckled.

"Yeah, they definitely make it worth it," Ginta smiled. "Isn't that right boss? Or was I imagining you playing red riding hood and the big bad wolf out on the dance floor?"

Kagome choked on the water she was drinking, the analogy hitting a little too close to the truth for comfort. But Ayumi and the two youkai were laughing, and she cast a smile to Kouga, who was smiling despite the correlation.

"How am I supposed to resist a meal that lays itself out for me like that?" He asked, shrugging before downing the rest of the water.

"I what?" She laughed, not quite able to believe he had, of everything to say, said that.

"I walk in and see you on the dance floor begging for someone to-"

"Careful how you finish that," She started, brow arching. The others were laughing, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh with them, relaxing as Kouga came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, we could go back in and dance," He whispered into her ear.

"I hear an or coming. Multiple choice? I'm a lucky meal," She commented dryly.

"I could carry you off into the wilds-"

"What wilds?" She snorted, earning a groan.

"You are impossible."

"Practical."

"Fine, I guess I'll just have to let you ride back with Yuka, whenever she decides to leave."

Kagome paled.

Yuka would probably want to stay until the club closed, and who knew when that would be? Not to mention Eri would be with her, and whomever they decided to bring back to the hotel with them.

"So those were my only options?" She asked, turning to look up at him. "I was kind of liking the idea of the wilds, but dancing doesn't sound awful."

She was pushing through the crowd and away from him, easily making her way back inside and toward the dance floor. A hand around her wrist stopped her, pulling her back until she landed against a warm body.

And it was, to her dismay, not Kouga's.

"Excuse me," She muttered, trying to pull away from the stranger, who was, she supposed, handsome. It was a light handsome though. He was lean, too lean, and his hair was short and spiked.

"Wanna dance?" he shouted over the music. She shook her head, trying to pull her hand away. The stranger was persistently hanging on, not seeming to get the message, and his grip tightened to the point of pain, although she could tell he didn't realize. Maybe he was drunk, she couldn't judge anything in the flashing ambience of the club.

"Please let me go," She shouted, becoming lightheaded when not one, but three powerful waves of youki washed over her. And, if the feel of the energies themselves were anything to go by, she assumed that things would get very bad, very, very quickly if she didn't find some way to calm them all down.

A hand clamped onto the wrist of the hand holding onto her wrist. It would have been funny, except Kouga looked ready to rip the man's throat out, and more literally than figuratively. A strangled yelp erupted, heard even over the music, and she saw Kouga's hand tightening before the one circling her wrist let go, falling limp.

She took several steps back, surprised when a hand settled on her shoulder. Almost jumping from her skin, she saw Hakkaku, eyes narrowed hatefully on the stranger. Ayumi was regarding everything with wide eyes tucked protectively into Ginta's side, his arm shielding her from the people beginning to look at them.

"Kouga, let him go," Kagome shouted, knowing he would hear her over the music. Something strange was still flickering in Kouga's eyes, something too predatory for her comfort. It wasn't the feral sensuality she had grown accustomed too, but something far more sinister, reminding her of youkai she had seen in the feudal era, ones that had lost all sense and reason.

Like Inu Yasha when the seal on his blood broke.

"Kouga, I'm alright. Let's go," She shouted, moving forward. His aura sizzled against her palm when she lay a hand on his arm, but she was determined not to flinch. Too afraid of dulling his disguise in front of so many people, she refrained from using her power, tugging at him instead. But when he turned to her, brown eyes had turned ice blue, easily bleeding into the color of the flashing lights, seeming gold and red and orange.

"I'm safe. I want to go," She told him softly, knowing he would hear. The tension in his arm didn't abate, but she felt more than saw him release the stranger, who stumbled back into the crowd and disappeared.

Ignoring the flicker of fear that shuddered through her, she wrapped an arm around his waist and let him tuck her beside him and lead her out. Whatever the scene had provoked, she knew couldn't be dealt with in the loud club and in front of so many people.

"My jacket is in the coat check, and my helmet is in Yuka's car. Ayumi's too."

He was patient enough for her to grab her jacket, but he was not patient enough to find Yuka. Nor were the other two youkai. All three of them looked antsy, and she wasn't sure Ayumi understood. Indeed, her friend was taking it better than she had any right to, merely remaining silent and staying close to Ginta.

"Wear my helmet," Kouga instructed. Kagome nodded and accepted the helmet, pushing it on and allowing him to set her on his bike as if she was a child before he straddled it and started the engine.

He rode hard and fast away from the club. Throughout, he maintained perfect control, although the only thing she could think of was how it felt like the air consisted of dozens of tiny needles stabbing into her legs uncomfortably. She promised herself she would never wear anything short on a motorcycle again if she could get through the next few hours with Kouga without something awful happening.

Inu Yasha caught up in his bloodlust flashed through her mind, and she clung more tightly to Kouga, as if she could will away the anger he felt with the sheer force of her own need to not see it. Trying to recall the past, she couldn't think of a time she had seen him give into that part of himself, and he had been formidable despite that. What would he be like if his control snapped?

When he stopped they weren't at either of the hotels. It looked like they were in the middle of nowhere, and she couldn't pin down their location. The helmet was barely off before he was picking her up and carrying her into the woods that bordered the shoulder. The moon only provided marginal light through the dense foliage overhead, but she could see the flashes of steel blue in the darkness, eerie glints that made her wonder if he had fully returned. His ears remained hidden, and his nails were still blunted, but his eyes were blue, and she thought she could see the suggestion of fangs pressing from behind his lips.

"Kouga," She murmured, cupping his cheek. He stopped, body tensing even further, each muscle cording against her skin. A shudder ran through him, like a cold chill had hit unexpectedly.

What happened next she could only guess at. He laid her down on the ground, oblivious to the stones and crackling leaves that pressed into her back. He was leaning over her, his cheek brushing against hers before he was roughly unzipping her jacket and pushing it away from her skin. For several minutes he inhaled, as if testing her scent and not finding what he was looking for. Down, lower until he was close to her breasts and then to her stomach. A low rumble escaped, and it was not a sound she recognized coming from him.

"You smell like human men," He snarled, his tone nothing but accusatory.

"I-"

He didn't give her time to explain that she had been massaged by a man, completely innocently, earlier in the day, or that she must have brushed against dozens of men in the club. Instead, he pushing her skirt up and tearing her panties away. She cried out, the fabric pulling at her flesh painfully before it gave, the sound of the lace ripping echoing through the almost quiet forest.

Every other time he had been almost neurotically concerned about protection, but not now. He was pushing into her, the heat of him without the latex sheath almost too much to bear as he thrust in. Something had snapped, and the angry sounds he made before leaning down to kiss her, fangs nipping at her lips painfully, echoed what she knew was a much more primitive side of him, one that she had never considered before that moment.

"Mine," He snarled, pulling away.

"Yours," She promised, crying out when he filled her almost painfully, body driving into hers. Impatient hands pushed her shirt up, exposing her breasts as he grabbed and kneaded them, claws pricking into her flesh painfully.

Despite it, or for it, she was losing herself in it. Whatever had changed, her body was accepting it, accepting him and the stranger that had replaced the passionate, sometimes playful lover she had come to know with someone savage and half mad. The small pains of stones and twigs pressing into her were lost as he gripped her body tightly and his claws pierced her flesh, pinpricks of cold lancing through and over the heat, each time they collided only serving to dizzy and disorient her further until she wasn't sure of anything but the feel of him covering her, lost in breathless moments between each thrust until she was coming, her body tightening and arching up. Liquid heat spilled into her, foreign and searing, and his cock pulsed inside of her. Hands tightened even more until she was coming back to reality, the sound of her cry echoing around them and mingling with his bestial snarls.

At some point she couldn't remember, she had locked her legs around his waist, had pulled him close. Cupping his face, she pulled him down, both of their chests heaving as he seemed to slump and go limp on top of her, his weight almost crushing her as he struggled to breathe. Lacing her arms around his neck she held him close, not caring about anything other than that he seemed to have run the course of whatever had been stirred, and that he was there.

"Mine," He growled quietly, nuzzling her neck and licking it.

"Yours," She agreed, nuzzling the side of his face and relaxing when there was only a contented rumble vibrating in his chest.

But when the euphoria faded and she felt like the ground beneath her was solid -and uncomfortable- again, she nuzzled him more forcefully, tipping his head slightly.

"I want to go to bed," She told him.

When he pulled away, she realized that something was still not quite right, his gaze was still too intent, too focused as he picked her up and carried her back to the motorcycle, sitting her on it, obviously oblivious to her flinch of pain. Still not used to sex, her groin protested what had just happened as much as it had enjoyed it before, and she knew her whole body would be aching in the morning, and merely pulled her shirt down and zipped her jacket up while he mounted the bike.

The ride back seemed to take forever, and she was exhausted. Perhaps it was the only reason she didn't complain when he carried her upstairs to his room, although it took some fumbling for him to open the door, and for a moment she was terrified he was going to force the handle. In the seconds it took him to open the door, Ginta and Hakkaku both stepped out of one of the rooms, only to step back when Kouga snarled in their direction. Hoping to keep any bloodshed from erupting, she cupped his cheek and rubbed her face against his chest. When she had finished and glanced back to where the two youkai had been standing, she saw nothing.

Kouga didn't seem to care about anything but getting her naked the minute they were in the door, and she didn't protest when he put her on the bed and pulled her skirt down off of her hips, instead using the time to unzip her jacket and shrug it off and then pulling the shirt over her head while shoving her shoes off and toeing off her socks. When she was finished, he was naked and getting into bed, pulling the blanket over them both and pulling her close.

Exhaustion, both physical and mental, won out, and deciding to worry about what had happened the next day, hopefully when he had fully come back from whatever border he teetered on, she fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Ton Up**

**By: The Hatter Theory**

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

**Notes:** Oh god, it has been a crazy summer. I'm remodeling several rooms from the floor up, and this past week or so has been crazy since I've been taking care of a very, very sick stray kitten that adopted us on top of remodeling. In the attempt to let everyone know what's going on with updates etc, I've started a tumblr, which is linked in my profile.

**This is an uncensored chapter.**

* * *

 

Waking up the next morning was the sort of experience Kagome didn't want to repeat. For one, the room was empty, devoid of the youkai that had brought her there. And his helmet. When she sat up, her body reminded her of the previous night's events and what they had entailed. What had been lost in a haze of sensation came back with startling clarity. Scrapes and bruises that more than outnumbered what she had gotten from falling from the bike screamed in protest as she stood, and pain flared between her legs. When she walked over to his bags and pulled out a pair of his boxers and a shirt, she couldn't stop the slight limp that affected her step.

Hoping he had just gone to get breakfast and wanted to let her sleep, she quietly stepped out of the room and walked to the next door. Knocking quietly, she moved to the next door when there was no answer. The door to Ginta's room opened readily, Hakkaku looking down at her with a worried expression.

"He's not here," She started, trying to explain, but Hakkaku was pulling her into the room, frowning slightly when he noticed her she moved awkwardly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She muttered, flushing hotly. She didn't want to explain that she was moving so strangely because of Kouga. The last thing she wanted to do was make him sound like he was abusive, especially in front of Ayumi, who sat on the bed, wide eyed. Kagome sat down next to her, accepting the blanket Ginta bundled around her even though she wasn't particularly cold.

When two things occurred to her. Really occurred to her.

The first was that Ayumi was in the room.

The second was that the two youkai were youkai. Not humans. Not wearing human disguises.

"You guys told her?" Kagome asked, eyes widening as she looked from her friend to the two youkai, who sat on the floor next to each other, staring up at both her and Ayumi.

"I was worried Kouga was going to hurt you," Ayumi began. "When you both just veered off and drove away, I- Kagome, you saw him last night. If it had been any other guy doing something like that, you would have worried too."

Kagome couldn't help but acknowledge the truth of the statement. If she had seen a human male acting like that, she would have kept her friend away from him. There was a level of possessiveness that she wouldn't have been comfortable experiencing with a human male. But having known youkai, especially Kouga, it hadn't been surprising. What had followed had been, though, and she still wasn't sure it was something she liked or could deal with.

"Ookami are, when we choose someone, it's not done lightly, and we do try to keep things within certain boundaries," Ginta tried to explain. "But we do have instincts. Even now we have to deal with them. It's easier, especially since we've been around humans for so long. But sometimes something trips them into alert mode. That happened last night. We saw a threat. Since you're Kouga's wo-erm, partner," Ginta said, blushing hotly when Kagome brought her knees up to her chest.

"What he's trying to say is that Kouga saw a threat to his partner, and it sent his instincts into a sort of free fall," Hakkaku finished. "We knew he wouldn't harm _you_ , but-"

"But he wasn't entirely himself," Ayumi tried, when Hakkaku paused.

"No, he was," Ginta sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "He was his most instinctual self last night. What Kagome saw, what I saw when he got back, that was Kouga, it was just-"

"Kouga acting as a wolf," Kagome supplied, beginning to understand. Both Ginta and Hakkaku nodded quietly, eyes growing worried.

"He left earlier, we tried to stop him, but he-"

"Needed space to try and figure out what happened," Hakkaku finished.

"I'm still not sure what happened," Kagome sighed, accepting Ayumi's quiet support when her friend leaned against her.

"Did you want us to go grab some breakfast?" Ginta asked, giving her an oblique glance. Kagome nodded, grateful for some space from the youkai. Even though they had done nothing wrong, they were youkai, so what she was feeling increasingly strange about was normal for them. Also, they were males, and at the moment, she needed to talk to a female that would understand, assuming of course, Ayumi didn't blast her for not revealing the truth about the youkai earlier. Kagome liked to think that out of all of her friends, Ayumi was the most understanding and considerate. Hopefully the simple realities of the situation would be understood.

"We'll be back soon," Hakkaku promised, standing with his pack mate and walking out quietly, ignoring their helmets and jackets.

"Guys," Ayumi started, worried. Ginta smiled back at her before closing the door. "We're taking the truck."

Ayumi nodded and the door closed, leaving them alone in the confines of the small hotel room.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Ayumi asked.

"He left me," Kagome muttered, staring down at the blanket creasing and folding over the tops of her knees. "Just, not even an explanation."

"Kagome, maybe he was afraid you'd be angry," Ayumi tried. "The guys were worried last night too, even if they tried not to show it. Maybe Kouga thought you wouldn't-"

"I'm so tired of guys just taking off when they're faced with some sort of emotional outburst, especially when it's their own," Kagome snapped, more to the air than to her friend. "I'm fine, it's not like he tried to kill me. Even if it was the more instinctual side of himself, it was still him, and he recognized me."

"He knows that, but he might not realize that you do."

Kagome didn't want understanding or peace talks, she wanted a friend to rant and rail against Kouga's flight without even a simple explanation. Instead, she'd been forced to hear it from his pack mates, and that crossed the border of awkward and humiliating.

"I've known dozens of youkai, I dealt with them all with understanding. He should have realized I would at least have an idea of what was going on, and explained it to me. It's not like I walked into a relationship with him blind to the fact that he's not human!"

Except she had, in some ways, and it was a startling, bitter truth. Kouga had, at times, seemed more human than even Inu Yasha in the past. In the current era, almost all traces of his youkai existence had faded. Apart from being more sensitive to smells and sounds, he didn't seem much different, even when his disguise wasn't in place. The part of him that she had seen the night before had been a frightening revelation, at first. Now it was just another part of him to accept, although she knew it would take her time to do so, and to correlate the savage facet with the playful, rough around the edges person he had become.

"Ginta said that Kouga might have been giving you time to wake up and leave, if you wanted," Ayumi said quietly, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. Kagome leaned into her.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. And I've heard a lot of dumb stuff," Kagome snorted.

"We _are_ friend's with Yuka and Eri," Ayumi pointed out pragmatically, earning a choked giggle from Kagome before continuing. "I mean, some of the stuff they've come up with has been pretty out there, you have to admit."

"They do come up with some pretty silly ideas," Kagome agreed. "But still, nothing as stupid as me wanting to leave Kouga over something like this. Although, you think I can get away with calling him a werewolf now?"

Something about Ayumi's initial statement had broken the tension, and Kagome clung to the levity of the conversation, because the tension had gotten too tight, the ideas too oppressive, too frightening to contemplate.

"So," Ayumi finally said, looking at her evenly. "Youkai."

"It's a long story," Kagome sighed. While the conversation didn't become serious, it wasn't lighthearted or joking any longer.

"I think we have time."

"You remember when I was sick all of the time?" At Ayumi's nod, Kagome continued, explaining the well and the basics of the jewel, outlining her adventure, censoring out the near death experiences and the heartache that had been an almost constant bedfellow there. By the time she had finished, Ayumi had moved away and laid down on her back, and Kagome had assumed the same pose, both of them sharing the blanket and cuddling pillows from the bed.

"So, you met them five hundred years ago?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide. Kagome nodded, expecting something, anything, that counted as a bad reaction.

"It sounds exciting. A lot more exciting than gout, anyway," Ayumi giggled.

"Ugh, grandpa and his medical journal," Kagome groaned, burying her face into the pillow, earning even more laughter.

Ayumi was still giggling madly, and even Kagome was laughing when the door opened and both Ginta and Hakkaku walked in, both carrying bags in each hand.

"Kouga's back," Ginta said quietly. "If you want to talk to him."

"I'll be back in a minute, don't eat everything," Kagome instructed, getting off of the bed and making sure to take the blanket with her. Leaving the room and walking to Kouga's, she didn't knock before opening the door. He was sitting on the bed, staring at the wall, shoulders slumped and face blank.

Walking over quietly, she sat next to him and leaned into his warmth.

"I'm sorry," He said, voice thick. The words rasped and ground together unpleasantly, as if he'd been screaming and his throat was sore and scratched. Kagome worried, but felt a flash of anger. If he had just stayed, had spoken to her, he wouldn't have put himself through whatever he had that morning. And she had a distinct feeling it hadn't been pleasant.

"I would have liked you to stay to explain it to me. Hearing it from the guys was a bit awkward," She told him honestly. "But it's okay. I knew you weren't human. I wasn't expecting something like that, but you still knew me, and I don't think you'll ever not know me."

"But-" He started, looking down at her. She saw the tangling confusion and self derision and nudged him with her elbow.

"I'm fine."

"I hurt you," He tried, almost as if he was looking for a reason to give her to be angry.

"I don't remember complaining," She snorted, brow arching when his eyes widened in surprise. "Kouga, the only thing that worried me, before I sort of completely forgot," She said, blushing heavily. "Was that you didn't use any protection. It's when you kept going that I realized something else was going on. We've both been really careful about it until now, so when you didn't look for one, I knew something was up. And I don't mind, except for the fact that we didn't use anything."

"I wasn't thinking," He admitted. "I don't remember anything but just needing to cover you in my scent. I don't-" He stopped again, running a hand through his mussed hair.

"When I get back to Tokyo, I'll go on the pill, in case it happens again. But otherwise Kouga, I'm fine."

"I saw you, you're covered in bruises and scratches."

"All of which I enjoyed receiving immensely," She told him, standing and tugging at him. But he stayed seated, face pressed against her stomach. Knowing it would probably take him as long to accept, if it not longer, that he had done her some physical hurt, she stroked his hair, smiling when she remembered him explaining what petting was.

"You know, I didn't peg you as kinky," She added. "Or myself for that matter."

A muffled snort blew across her belly, making her jump slightly from the sensation of being tickled.

"Everything considered, the only bad part besides the lack of protection were the sticks digging into my butt."

Kouga pulled away, looking up at her with a sort of hesitant, almost wary hope.

"Kouga, I'm fine. Except that I'm hungry, and whatever the guys brought back smelled delicious. If I don't eat something soon I'm going to turn into a werewolf and eat you," She told him, smiling as she said it. A crooked, lopsided sort of half smile tilted his lips, and she tugged at his hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Thank you," He mumbled, hugging her tightly before she had a chance to walk for the door. "You are-"

"Hungry," She said, looking up at him with a completely innocent expression, earning an honest, chest rumbling laugh. "You got your meal last night old wolf. It's time for mine."

"Fair enough," He chuckled, following her as she tugged him to the door and onto the walkway. When she opened the door to Ginta's room, the three on the bed all looked at them, abruptly silent.

"You guys better have saved some food," Kagome grumbled, walking over to the bags and sitting on the floor. Kouga sat behind her, legs on either side of her as he pulled her close.

Ayumi looked from the two youkai, who lacked disguises, to Kouga shyly.

"She wanted us to chase you two down. We couldn't figure out how to explain without telling her," Hakkaku said, seeing Kouga's worried expression.

"Ah," Kouga said, relaxing immediately.

"What do you look like?" Ayumi asked, head tilting curiously. Kagome couldn't see Kouga's disguise fading, except for his hands, where his nails rounded and turned to claws. Ayumi's surprised gasp told her when it had finished.

"This is so strange," Ayumi finally admitted. "I know youkai and a time traveling miko."

"Nix on the time traveling," Kagome laughed, smiling and shrugging. "The well stopped working, and my life is here now. Besides, they didn't have motorcycles in the feudal era, and that's the only way I'm ever going to be as fast as Kouga," She added.

"Boss did have a tendency to run and leave everyone else behind," Hakkaku snorted.

"You guys are just slow," Kouga rumbled, taking a bite of the chicken biscuit Kagome held over her shoulder.

"Males and their egos," She muttered, voice filled with mock exasperation. But she couldn't help but be relieved. Small catastrophes, but ones that could have easily destroyed the relationship she was building with Kouga. While they hadn't addressed the possibility of her being pregnant, she assumed they would later. Preferably after she had gotten a shower. Preferably with him, because she was having a hard time not cuddling up to him. Even after everything that had happened, he felt safe, and the steady, solid assurance his presence provided was hard to move from. While she knew it made no sense logically, she clung to that comfort, and even after finishing her breakfast she didn't move away, instead choosing to lean further back into him and listening as the youkai explained more of their lives, as if their alpha's presence had given them a sort of permission.

As Kagome listened, she realized she felt better, more relaxed. Maybe it was that she wasn't the only human to know about her adventures, aside from her family. Maybe it was that it was a friend, a good friend, that knew about youkai and accepted them easily, her initial reaction apparently being little more than surprise, which had quickly turned into fascination. What loneliness had existed faded, and though Kagome knew better than to tell Yuka or Eri, both of whom would freak out, maybe even tell others, she felt that Ayumi knowing was good, maybe even right, in a way, given her growing friendship with the youkai.

"I think I need a shower," She finally whispered, tilting her head so she spoke directly into Kouga's ear. He nodded, helping her to her feet as she stood. The others nodded in their direction, continuing their conversation as she and Kouga left their room.

Once they were back in his, she dropped the blanket on the bed, surprised when he moved it over to the lone chair in the room.

"It's Ginta's," He grumbled. She nodded, immediately remembering his declaration about smells the night before and blushing hotly. He was also steadfastly avoiding looking at her.

"You're going to make me shower by myself?" She asked, brows raised as if shocked. The genuine surprise in his expression made her heart ache, a flash of something sharp that made her walk over to him and tug him to the bathroom, ignoring his hesitation.

Quickly turning the knobs, she turned back to him, determined to erase the shadows that had been clouding his vision since she had seen him. Ignoring his halfhearted attempt to resist, she began pulling his shirt up until it was over his head, exposing the tawny, muscled skin of his chest and stomach. There wasn't a bruise or a scratch to be seen, although she had been sure she had left some the night before.

Running her hands over his skin, she smoothed her palms over his chest and up his neck to cup his face, forcing him to look down at her.

"It's in your nature to protect and posses," She whispered quietly. "It's a part of you."

His hands came to rest on her own, holding them there as he blinked slowly. Slowly he turned his nose into hr palm, nuzzling it gently.

"You're more than I deserve," He rumbled.

"I accept you," She told him. "You're the one I want to be with."

He didn't protest when she unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them down his hips with his boxers, only toeing off his boots and socks and kicking the pile of clothing to the side until he was naked. Her fingers ran over his skin, down his chest and over his hips, tracing the lines of well defined muscles. She said nothing as he pulled her shirt over her head, and the boxers easily fell to the floor. Too afraid to shatter the tenuous peace, she stepped into the shower and waited until he had stepped in to pull the curtain back.

The warm water was hot enough to sting the small cuts and pinpricks, but it soothed muscles that had been sore when she woke. His presence behind her was a palpable thing as she let the water course over her skin. For a moment she was afraid to look back, afraid he would get out of the shower. But his hand smoothed up her back, resting between her shoulder blades before he was embracing her, her back pressed against him as he nuzzled her cheek.

Claws moved over the lines of shallow cuts and outlined bruises, and even then she could feel his regret, as if he had committed some horrible wrong. Turning in his arms, she cupped his face, wanting more than anything to erase the self censure she saw. Standing on tip toe, she brushed her lips against his, sad that for the first time since they had kissed he was the one to hesitate, allowing her to direct the kiss.

"Please," She whispered against his lips. "Please don't pull away. You're safe with me," She promised, nuzzling his nose with her own. He nodded, gasping for breath, body shivering against her own. His arms tightened around her, almost too tight, as if he was afraid she'd vanish the moment he let go. His kiss was desperate, flavored with the need for assurance.

Giving everything she had, trying to will every ounce of her willingness and her own need to sooth the hurt that welled up from a dark corner of him that he seemed to fear, she kissed back fervently, hands running through his wet hair and holding him close. His body trembled, burned against hers, and when he grabbed her thigh she lifted without protest, allowing him to grab the other and push her against the cold tile all of the stall.

Her body protested when she felt him pushing into her, but she said nothing, knowing he needed the comfort more than she did, the reassurance that she was there. Hugging his neck she buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of him mixing with water. His hands held her firmly, but she could tell he was trying to keep from hurting her with his claws, and he rocked slowly back and forth, barely moving.

Tightening her legs around his waist, she kissed along his shoulder and neck, held fast even when his body trembled. She knew, maybe better than he did, if he did at all, that it was different than the other times. Each slow thrust they were connecting and she was slowly brought to pleasure. Understanding that he wasn't just lost in the fear that had seized him, but that he was intentionally being gentle, she forced the pain away from her mind and focused on him pressed against her, surrounding her. Warm water and slick skin blurred into one another as he pulled her closer to the edge.

Her release wasn't the sudden crashing she had come to know, the almost abrupt departure from reality, but something slower, drawing her deeper into warmth until she couldn't distinguish where he began and she ended. Drowning in it, she shivered and trembled, a languid, heavy heat pooling in her veins as her blood seemed to slow. Keening softly against his shoulder, she felt him pulling away, knew he was being as careful as he could be, given their carelessness. But the heaviness persisted, and she couldn't find it in herself to care when he slowly let her down and turned off the knobs.

He led her to bed, not even bothering to dry off as he pulled her down and covered both of them. Refusing to face away from him, she tucked herself against him and nipped at his chin lightly, gratified when he looked down at her and touched the tip of his tongue to her nose.

"You can say it and not get hit now," She said, half of her words lost in a yawn as she snuggled deeper into him.

"Say what?" He asked, voice rough.

"That I'm your woman."

"Mine," He said, voice firm.

"Yours," She promised.

 

* * *

 

When she woke, he was staring down at her, eyes regarding her with a hint of worry.

"What's wrong?" She asked, a strange plummeting feeling immediately making her feel nauseated. "Did something happen?"

"No, just- It'll be a day or two before I can tell if-"

"If what?" She asked, completely bewildered.

"If you're-" He started, then stopped. Kagome realized then that she really hated it when people did that, especially when they looked worried.

"If I'm what?" She demanded when he didn't continue.

"Pregnant."

The hesitation and finality of his words mad it sound like a death sentence, something she could, in some way, agree with. Ever the pragmatist, she knew that she had wanted to find a career and figure out her life before having children. And even though Kouga felt like more than just a simple boyfriend, she wasn't sure what he felt about her, and despite her hopes, she also knew people, and relationships, changed. That a child would complicate things was an immense understatement.

"We'll figure it out if you find out I am," She said, not knowing what else to say.

"I always wanted- But not like this," He admitted, pulling her close.

"Me too," Kagome replied softly, nuzzling his chest. "I wanted to be older, out of school. Married," She added with a laugh. "But it hasn't happened yet, so we can't worry about it, or we'll drive ourselves crazy."

They lapsed into silence, and Kagome looked for something, anything to talk about.

"When I go back to Tokyo, I'm going to need to get my permit," She said, pulling something out of the blue. Kouga nodded, latching onto the new topic as much as she needed to. "I don't know anything about traffic laws."

"That's simple," He told her, relaxing. "Let me grab my laptop."

"I didn't realize you'd brought it."

"I was going to work on an article, but this is fine," He told her, pulling it from his bag with the cord and plugging it in. She waited patiently while he got back in the bed, and ignoring the fact that they were both naked, she curled up next to him while he pulled up an online book for motorcyclists and began reading with her, explaining each part.

Kagome relaxed, and so did he. She wondered if it was because he was back in his element, and if he'd drifted that far from the more youkai like aspects of his nature. If he had, and she couldn't help but worry that he had, like Inu Yasha denying his own dual nature, she resolved to help him accept it, and hopefully show him that she accepted it as well.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer** : I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
> 
> * * *
> 
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> 
> An anon at my tumblr poked me, and this happened. Happy New Year's everyone!

"I can't believe it's already over," Yuka sighed, walking up the ramp. "It feels like we just got here."

Kagome was more willing to bet that her friend couldn't remember at least half of their vacation, and that was why it felt so short. The bags under both Yuka's and Eri's eyes spoke of long nights and little sleep. Kagome knew they had enjoyed it, for everything it was worth. Everything considered, she wouldn't say it had been the vacation she had been dreaming of, but she couldn't find any fault in what had happened, apart from the less than stellar bed partners her friends had chosen.

"It was a good vacation," Ayumi said firmly.

"I think so too," Kagome admitted.

"I still don't see why your man and his friends couldn't have waited a couple of days to go back," Eri yawned. "Seems like a waste."

"They had an order come in that they needed to take care of," Kagome defended, although she admitted to herself that she had already begun missing Kouga while telling herself it was childish to miss someone after only a few days. It had not kept her from practically babysitting her phone however, and she had fallen asleep both nights talking to Kouga and woken up to a text from him.

"Any idea what's going on when we get back?" Ayumi asked as they walked into their suite.

"Taki mentioned dinner, although I have no idea when that will be-oh!" Kagome gasped, remembering what she and Kouga had spoken about the night before. "The guys do volunteer work, working on building houses. I told Kouga I would like to help. Would you like to come?"

"Building houses?" Ayumi asked, eyes widening almost comically. Yuka and Eri were already walking to their rooms, saying only that they wanted sleep. Kagome went to her room, Ayumi following her as they dropped their bags onto the floor and getting on the bed. Since Ayumi had found out about youkai, both she and Kagome had grown closer, and Kagome felt like, for the first time in a very long time, she had a best friend similar to Sango. While the two women couldn't have been more different, there was an openness and and honesty that Kagome had lacked for three years, one she hadn't realized how desperately she needed until she had it again.

"Kouga says it's a chance for everyone to show eachother how incompetent they are," Kagome chuckled. "But it's nothing major on our end, we carry what they tell us to carry, that sort of thing. There are contractors that do a lot of the building."

"Oh. I think it would be fun then," Ayumi said, looking so relieved Kagome thought she would sag down to the bed. "What about your mom? Have you told her yet?"

"That I found a youkai from back then, got a boyfriend, or that I'm learning to ride a motorcycle?" Kagome asked, the enormity of the changes not lost on her. What had made for an amazing vacation and start to her adult life could easily be not quite so amazing to her mother.

"Any and all of the above?" Ayumi asked, growing pensive.

"Mom has always been really supportive," Kagome sighed, leaning against the headboard. "I'm hoping that extends to this. I mean, she didn't know everything about the past, but she knew it was dangerous and supported me then, so I'm hoping she does now. And as for Kouga, she never had a problem with Inu Yasha being a hanyou, or being a- a romantic interest, so she probably won't bat an eyelash."

"You're probably right. Your mom has always been really supportive."

"My grandpa on the other hand," Kagome groaned, already picturing ofuda flying. "He used to turn Inu Yasha into a walking plaster statue with the spell scrolls, so I'm worried about Kouga and the guys."

"Maybe having three of them there will keep him from focusing too much on just one, or even confuse him."

"Like he won't know which one to hit first?" Kagome snorted, imagining her grandfather staring at the three ookami with a mixture of shock and terror. "That might actually work," She said, thinking further on it. "Unless mom corners Kouga and Souta corners either Ginta or Hakkaku, like separating the herd."

"Divide and conquer," Ayumi giggled, hugging a pillow.

"It's going to be a disaster," Kagome groaned. A disaster, she reflected, that she hadn't prepared Kouga for in the least. Inu Yasha had been bad enough, how was Kouga going to feel about a shrine priest covering him head to toe in prayer scrolls and seals?

"You could always put your grandfather in the well house and lock him in there until it's over."

"You are so bad," Kagome gasped, surprised that her shy friend had been the one to say something like that. "Besides, he'd probably gnaw his way out."

The mental images the comment evoked were too much for either girl, and Kagome and Ayumi both cackled wildly, clutching their sides and coming up with even greater impossible images, all of them involving escapes that started at merely strange and ended bordering on deranged. It wasn't until Eri banged on the door and told them to keep it down that they covered their faces with pillows, smothering the laughter until it had finally died down to mere giggling.

"You know," Ayumi said, flopping onto her stomach. "If you had told me this would happen when we were on the ferry to Hokkaido, I would have called you crazy."

"I probably would have too," Kagome agreed, mimicking Ayumi's pose and laying her cheek against the pillow, smiling softly. "It feels like it's been a few months, but at the same time, it's like we just got there too."

"I know. I'm glad you faked being sick that day. I wanted to stay with you, to be honest."

"You knew I was faking?" Kagome stuttered, blushing hotly.

"Oh yeah, but you were trying so hard, and I figured you just needed a break from Yuka and Eri, so I exaggerated everything a bit to help you," Ayumi giggled, smiling widely. "I'm glad things worked out the way they did though. I never imagined being friends with youkai. Or that I'd have such a good time."

"It was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

"Mhmm," Ayumi agreed. There was a long silence, one that Kagome filled with contemplations of the vacation she was leaving behind, although she couldn't find any regret, knowing what was waiting for her in Tokyo.

"Hey Kagome," Ayumi eventually asked, casting a shy glance from the pillow before burying her face back in it.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, surprised by her friend's sudden bashfulness. After a few weeks of seeing Ayumi come out of her shell, it was strange to see her behaving like her old self, and the sudden change was worrying. Expecting Ayumi to ask about of of the youkai, as she had secretly suspected, she waited for the shoe to drop.

"Can I go with you to get your permit?"

Kagome could feel the abrupt halt of her thoughts as they piled on top of one another, crashing dissonant and becoming nothing more than a tangle of nonsensical, absurd half ideas that made no sense.

"What?" She asked dumbly, staring at her friend.

"I was thinking about getting mine, but I don't want to go by myself," Ayumi admitted shyly, blushing a vivid pink.

"Sure," Kagome said, snapping out of her stupor. "I'm just surprised."

"I like riding, but I saw you, I mean, I probably won't be as good or anything-"

"I'm not good," Kagome snorted. And she knew she had a long way to go. Kouga had pushed her on the track, determined for her to get the basics before she got back to Tokyo and got her permit, since finding empty spots to practice would be much more difficult, and he would be working as well. Her body had endured it, but barely. She had ended each night sore and groaning, soaking in a hot bath while they went over traffic laws.

Sex had taken the back seat as well, and she understood it, logically. It didn't keep her from feeling slightly hurt. Since the night Kouga had 'claimed' her, as Hakkaku called it, he hadn't attempted sex, and it had only been when he announced that she showed no signs of pregnancy that he had remotely relaxed. He would kiss her and cuddle her, but he seemed to be holding back from anything more intimate, and she had refrained, knowing he needed space and not wanting to push him.

"You're better than I'm going to be," Ayumi told her. "I don't know anything really, except what the guys told me."

"We'll figure it out. But I wouldn't mind if you went with me. In fact, we can keep it to ourselves until we have the permits, and then surprise the guys."

Ayumi's face lit up, and Kagome giggled, eying her friend mischievously.

"You know, this means you get to meet Taki, I bet. That should be fun."

"Will she hit me?" Ayumi asked, eyes shadowing with dread.

"I don't know. She only got me while I was wearing a helmet though," Kagome told her friend, not mentioning that Taki was as likely to see the two males falling over themselves and make a very blunt observation, as she had before. The mere picture of the two males blushing like Kouga had made her snort, she tried to hold her laughter but failed, giggling into the pillow and trying to hide it from her friend, failing miserably. When she looked up, Ayumi looked mortified, as if Kagome had told her she was going to be facing a fire breathing dragon.

"Taki is a bit rough around the edges, like the guys. But she's a good person."

"She sounds scary," Ayumi admitted.

"You'll be fine. I can go with you if you want."

"Do you think they'll actually teach me?"

Kagome wanted to say she'd love to see someone try to stop them, but refrained, knowing it wouldn't help Ayumi, who seemed to have actually labeled both youkai as only friends, eschewing any sort of romantic interest in either. Instead she nodded, giving the other female an encouraging smile.

"Do you know anything about the traffic laws yet?"

"Not much," Ayumi admitted.

"I've got a book and some notes I made, if you want to go over them with me."

"It would be an amazing help."

They spent most of their afternoon and evening going over notes she had made listening to Kouga explain traffic laws, as well as basic motorcycle handling. Kagome realized then that they were more thorough than she had thought, done well enough that even Ayumi could understand the basics of handling a motorcycle itself in theory. Even when they left their friends to their beds to go grab dinner, they continued talking about what Kagome had learned so far, and Kagome even began telling her friend the basics of engines.

Ayumi soaked everything up, and when they got back, Ayumi read through the book on riding skills Kouga had bought, and Kagome went over the maintenance book, both of them growing sleepy and falling asleep in the same bed, face first in the books.

 

* * *

 

Kagome woke up, feeling strangely alert, and looked around. Ayumi was snoring softly, the book she had been reading to her side and one arm under her pillow, the other under her face. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Kagome saw that it was still very early, and grabbed her room key and cellphone off of the nightstand and left the room, then walked out of the suite, ignoring shoes and padding silently through the corridors, following the signs up onto the upper deck.

The sky was still dark, but the first hint of light tinted it slightly, and blurred the brightness of the stars. Blinking sleepily, she looked down at her phone, opened it, then reconsidered. She did this twice more before tapping a quick message onto the screen and hitting send, eyes going back to the choppy waters and the slowly lightening sky.

She almost dropped her phone when it began ringing, and she opened it, putting it to her ear as she leaned over the railing.

"Morning," Kouga said. He sounded awake, and Kagome wondered if he slept out of necessity, or if it was just a luxury for him.

"Morning," She replied softly.

"I tried calling last night."

"Ayumi and I were talking," She told him, hedging the truth so she didn't give away the surprise she and her friend were planning. "She would like to help on the house."

"Good, we could use more bodies," He said, and she could hear him make the half groan half sigh sound he made when stretching. "It's still dark here."

"Here too, but it's beginning to get a little lighter," She murmured softly.

Neither of them said what she felt was obvious, that they wished he was there, watching the sunrise with her and not having to catch glimpses of it through buildings and city lights and smog. Instead, they remained silent, although neither was willing to hang up, finding a sort of comfort in the connection, however distant and tenuous.

"I can't wait to see you," She finally said, smiling to herself.

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" He asked, and she could hear the wry humor in his voice.

"Nope."

"Which just makes me feel like a jerk."

"Not my fault."

"Fine," He groaned. "I'm going batshit because I miss you, and I can't wait to see you again."

"Your sincerity moves me," She chuckled.

"I lack finesse."

"As old as you are? Probably never get it then."

"Funny," He snorted. "Remind me to tell your mom you were flashing me before we started dating."

"I did not flash you," She muttered hotly.

"You even shoved me under your shirt."

"We were swimming," She hissed.

"She might not get that though," He chuckled.

"You just don't want to meet my mom," She retorted.

"Nah, I'm curious. Besides, you two are close, so I want to know her."

"She'll like you," Kagome said firmly. "Especially if you show her your tail."

"What?" He asked flatly, and she could picture his expression perfectly, giggling at the thought of his unhappy frown.

"Mom has a thing for cute animal youkai. Inu Yasha's ears were a huge weakness, she tried to rub them all the time. I'm sure she'd like your tail."

"Your mother is not petting my tail."

"Scared you'll like it?" She challenged.

"Smart ass. Get back in bed."

"Yes my lord and master."

"You know, as alpha, that isn't technically wrong."

"I will never say those words in seriousness," She promised as she walked back down the corridor.

"What about when I do that one thing?" He asked, voice taking a husky edge that made her stumble down the last stair.

"What?" She muttered, passing someone else walking by.

"You know, that thing you really love."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," She muttered.

"Sounds like you do," He told her, voice deepening. Kagome flushed hotly as she practically ran through the corridor to her own room.

"I am not calling your lord and master when you do that. I can barely talk when you do it anyway."

"Oh, I didn't think my massages were that good," He said, voice filled with innocent confusion that she knew for a fact to be contrived.

"That's not what I meant," She muttered, opening the door and stepping into the suite.

"Then what were you thinking about?" He asked, voice gaining a slyness that she could feel through the phone, tracing a claw down her spine.

"Nothing," She sputtered, walking to her room.

"Huh, awfully big nothing," He chuckled.

"Jerk," She muttered.

"You wouldn't have me any other way."

"Point," She sighed, walking over to her bed and laying down opposite Ayumi, pulling the blanket over herself and shuffling into the mattress.

"You in bed?"

"I am now."

"Then get some sleep. I'll see you soon," He promised.

"Can't wait," She said, the words getting lost in a yawn.

"Sleep well."

"G'night," She murmured, closing her phone and putting it on the nightstand. The ship rocked and she hugged her pillow, closed her eyes and imagined being back in Tokyo, and seeing Kouga again.

 

* * *

 

"I'm sleepy," Yuka sighed, walking down the ramp. Kagome couldn't help but be surprised. Yuka and Eri both had slept almost the entire trip, a solid fifteen hours, perhaps more. They'd even missed breakfast, grumbling when they finally had woken.

"Will you be okay to drive?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine after I finish my coffee. It's surreal, being back on the mainland. I feel like our vacation is already over."

"We still have a couple of months," Kagome told her, shouldering her bag and walking towards the valets.

"My dad wants to have some time to hang out and go visit some other family," Yuka told her, face pulling into a grimace. "Probably my grandmother."

"It can't be that bad," Eri reasoned.

"Not as bad as Kagome introducing her bad boy boyfriend to her mother anyway," Yuka snickered. Kagome playfully flicked her friend, rolling her eyes.

"Mom will probably be thrilled I'm dating, and if she accepted Inu Yasha, Kouga should be more than fine," Kagome told her firmly.

"I hope so. Its good to see you being normal. Now all we have to do is find Ayumi a boyfriend," Eri giggled. Kagome looked to her quiet friend, surprised to see Ayumi flushing brightly, her whole face turning a deep shade of red.

"I don't need anything like that. Besides, I'm going to Toyama for school. It would be silly for me to try and date anyone in Tokyo, and when I go to school I won't have time for that sort of thing," Ayumi defended, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey, at least you'll have other stuff to keep you busy, and we all promised to visit each other," Kagome reminded her. "You know we won't forget."

"I know," Ayumi said, immediately relaxing. "The idea of starting somewhere new scares me a little," She admitted. "It's going to be so different."

"Good different though," Eri said, watching Yuka walk over to the valet and give him her ticket. "We'll grow up, get jobs. But we can always have a vacation every summer, maybe go back to Hokkaido, or even someplace else!" She said, eyes already blanking as she turned inward. "Like America or someplace in Europe."

"Maybe," Kagome said, chuckling at her friend's antics. "We just got done with one trip, let's relax before planning another."

"Oh, but think about it. Paris in the summer. Amazing beaches and the houses of high fashion," Eri sighed happily, not even looking at her friends. Kagome nudged Ayumi and rolled her eyes, smirking. Ayumi giggled, covering her mouth to hide her own smile when Yuka called out to them.

They put their bags in the trunk and got in, and Kagome rolled down her window, watching Ayumi do the same.

"Our vacation isn't over yet," Kagome told them primly. "I want to have the windows rolled down and to sing with the radio."

Her friends agreed, and as they drove to Tokyo, they all sang at the top of their lungs with the windows down, dancing in their seats and laughing at one another. The little resentments that had formed during their vacation seemed to smooth out, disappearing in a tide of joy and relaxation.

Kagome smiled as the road flew past them, and she imagined, for a brief moment, riding her bike down the highway and straight into Tokyo.

"I can't wait," Ayumi whispered quietly, barely heard over the music and their friends singing.

"I can't either," Kagome whispered back, sharing a secret smile with her best friend.

 

* * *

 

A hand brushed her bangs out of her face. Murmuring sleepily, Kagome turned her face into the hand cupping her cheek and inhaled, nuzzling his palm and sighing softly before opening her eyes.

"Sneaking into a woman's bedroom is a crime in some places," She reminded him sleepily.

"Only if she doesn't want you there," He chuckled, leaning forward and bracing both elbows on her bed.

"So that's why you asked where I lived, to stalk me," She mumbled, pushing herself upright.

"I was actually planning on taking you to dinner," He admitted.

"What happened?" She yawned, stretching her ars and back.

"Something went wrong with the engine and we spent a while blaming eachother, and then a bit more figuring out how to fix it."

"Sounds exciting," She giggled, looking from him to her open window. "You know, I thought guys sneaking in stopped after highschool."

"I didn't think your family would approve of me using the front door when it was locked," He replied, standing and toeing off his boots. Kagome watched as she shed his jacket and shirt, then got under the covers with her, pulling her close to him.

"You couldn't wait until morning?" She asked, already cuddling into him.

"Wolves are notorious for getting lonely without someone to cuddle," He informed her, as if it was in fact an undisputed, documented truth.

"There was always a mutt pile," She joked.

"Not as nice as you. Besides, they get too cuddly in their sleep," He told her, squeezing her once.

"Too cuddly?" She asked, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Go to sleep," He commanded softly.

"Not a problem," She sighed, closing her eyes again, soaking up his warmth and the feel of his hand under her shirt on the small of her back, solid and reassuring.

* * *

 

When she opened her eyes, Kagome knew two things. One, that she was alone. Wondering if she had dreamed Kouga's late night visit, she hugged her pillow and was assailed with his scent, which immediately relaxed her. He had been there, there was no other explanation for the undeniably male scent on her pillow. Smiling softly, she sat up and stretched, wondering if it would be too soon to text him, or if he was still working on the order from the night before.

A folded piece of paper on her nightstand caught her eye, her name written on it in a masculine script. Opening it, she scanned it, smiling as she read it.

'Heard your family start to get up, didn't want your mother to take my pelt for being in bed with her daughter without proper introductions. Call me around noon or one, and we'll grab some lunch somewhere.'

There was a lack of sentiment, although she couldn't blame him. The message itself screamed Kouga, even if he hadn't signed it, but that he'd taken the time to write it meant that he had been thinking of her before he left, and not just escaping before her mother became aware of his presence.

Wondering if it would be better to just go ahead and tell her mother what had happened, and what she had planned for the rest of her summer, she stretched and walked downstairs, following the smell of breakfast that was wafting in from the kitchen.

"Good morning Kagome," Her mother greeted cheerily, halving an omelet and slipping both halves onto plates. "Your brother is at his friend's house and your grandfather is out in the storehouse. I thought we could have breakfast together since we didn't get to talk yesterday."

Kagome nodded, unsure if she liked the bizarre coincidence or if the universe was trying to help her her along somehow. Taking it for granted that she had earned some luck and some peace after everything she had done in her relatively short life, she followed her mother over to the table and sat, listening as Nodoka chatted about little things that had occurred around the shrine and the neighborhood in the weeks Kagome had been in Hokkaido.

"Souta really set his room on fire?" Kagome choked, washing down the errant bit of omelet stuck in her throat by gulping down milk. Her mother nodded, obviously amused, although Kagome knew her mother well enough to guess that the initial reaction had been much, much different.

"He's missing a patch of carpet, but he didn't burn through the floor, thank goodness. I'm going to have to replace it soon, but until then I found an area rug."

"What was he doing?" Kagome demanded incredulously.

"Trying a science experiment of some sort. It was part of a summer project."

Kagome had a feeling she wasn't hearing the whole story, but let it go. The chagrin on her mother's face was becoming more pronounced, and the last thing she wanted was for her mother to be in a bad mood when she dropped the bomb, so to speak.

"So I met someone while I was on vacation," Kagome ventured after her mother was pouring coffee.

"A summer romance Kagome, that's wonderful," Nodoka said, face relaxing.

"It, um, not quite just for summer," Kagome mumbled.

"Oh?"

"He lives in Tokyo, I've seen him before." Which was an understatement if there ever was one. Kagome knew it shouldn't be so difficult to tell her mother she was seeing someone from then, after all, her mother had been a staunch supporter of her journey, and had, in many ways, been curious about the people she had met.

"He's a youkai."

"I didn't realize youkai had survived to this era, although I suppose after the things you told me, it shouldn't be a surprise."

Her mother's placid, unbreakable calm was almost unnerving, although it was all she ever seemed to be. Kagome couldn't pinpoint exactly why it was so nerve wracking suddenly, but it was making her stomach do very uncomfortable things involving sailor's knots and a mini ocean pitching dangerously.

"It's someone I knew from then. He recognized me and we sort of hit it off."

Another understatement, but she wasn't going to tell her mother that either.

"Oh?"

"Kouga, the ookami."

"An ookami?" Nodoka asked, brows rising in surprise. "That's-"

Kagome waited for the shoe to drop, but it didn't, her mother giggling quietly.

"What?" Kagome asked, defensive and worried.

"Strangely appropriate, given your history with inu youkai. I suppose he hasn't aged much?"

"Not really," Kagome sighed, grateful for the reprieve. Now to get the two of them to meet without Kouga cursing and everything would be fine, hopefully.

The world is a very strange place," Nodoka observed. "To have brought you two together in Hokkaido after all of these years. So tell me about him. I'm curious what kind of ma-youkai has gotten your attention."

"He's sweet, a bit rough around the edges still. A lot happened after I left, stuff that hurt him, I think," Kagome sighed. "He seems more human than youkai most of the time, but there are moments, they remind me of who he really is."

"You sound worried."

"There's just a lot I still don't understand about youkai," Kagome admitted quietly. "But he's usually really sweet, funny. He makes me laugh."

"Kagome, when you were traveling, I worried about you," Nodoka started, covering Kagome's hand with her own. "You seemed to worry and shout more than you laughed. So if he makes you laugh, I'm glad. You need more laughter in your life."

Kagome nodded, grateful her mother was taking it so well.

"So what does he do now?"

"He's a mechanic," Kagome hedged.

"A mechanic?"

"He enjoys it, it's something he loves to do," Kagome clarified. "He owns his own garage, and they build stuff for racing."

"That's impressive," Nodoka told her. "I never thought of youkai being interesting in cars."

"Umm, motorcycles," Kagome mumbled, watching her mother's expression carefully. "He 's a motorcycle mechanic, no cars, although he drives a truck," She added quickly, relaxing when her mother began to relax. "He's a really good person mom. We're going to work on a volunteer project building a house that he and a few other shops are sponsoring."

"A house?"

"It's for the habitat project," Kagome said, repeating what Kouga had told her. "He and a few other garages got together to sponsor one, pay for the materials and contractors, and to offer manual labor. Ayumi and I are going to go work on it with them."

"He sounds like a good person," Nodoka said, leaning back and taking another sip of her drink. "When do I get to meet him?"

"Soon," Kagome answered. "He's got an order he's working on right now, so he's been busy. We were going to go have lunch today."

"I'm glad you're having a fun vacation," Nodoka told her, smiling again. "And when he can find time to come for dinner, I would enjoy meeting him."

Kagome eyed her mother shrewdly, seeing a question there.

"What is it mom?" Kagome asked.

"Does he, is he like Inu Yasha? I mean, appearance wise?"

Kagome immediately relaxed, realizing she should have seen that question coming. "He's not like Inu Yasha at all. He doesn't have the ears, and his hair is black, and a lot shorter. His eyes are blue too. Ginta and Hakkaku-"

"There are more?" Nodoka asked, surprise breaking her peaceful expression.

"They're part of his pack," Kagome giggled. "His best friends. They all work together. I can invite them too, if you would like."

"I would like that. It would be interesting to meet more youkai," Nodoka chuckled. "Who would have thought. Ookami in this day and age. I suppose your life was always meant to be interesting."

"One big adventure," Kagome chuckled weakly, knowing she had not broached the most obvious topic with her mother, the one that she knew would probably make her mother angry. But maybe it was better to save that one for another day, she reflected quietly. Her mother could meet Kouga and form an impression free of that information, and hopefully it wouldn't be broken when she found out.

"I was going to go over to Ayumi's for awhile to work on something. Is that alright?"

"That's fine sweetie. Just remember to call and let me know if you'll be home for dinner."

"Yes mom," Kagome said, watching her mother gather the plates and go back into the kitchen. Quickly jogging back up the stairs and to her room, getting ready quickly and throwing her books and notes into her old school backpack before running back downstairs and calling out a hasty goodbye, pulling on her shoes as she went.

It was beautiful outside, the sun was warm on her skin and there was a light wind that blew across her skin. It wasn't Hokkaido, and she felt something strangely akin to homesickness, as if she'd made her home there in the few weeks she had been staying on the island. Sighing softly, she walked down the shrine steps and along the road, holding her bag straps and looking at the world as she passed it by.

Several people were walking in the area, enjoying the day. People walking their dogs, moms pushing strollers, girls walking in small groups giggling loudly and talking about boys. The bucolic peace was lazy, perfectly in time with summers Kagome had spent before. Except it felt too slow, too peaceful, and she felt antsy for some reason. Picking up her pace, she was practically running by the time she turned at the third block and continued until she reached Ayumi's house five blocks away, taking a sort of pleasure in the burn her legs felt.

Knocking on the door, she tried to calm her breathing, frowning as a stitch began to flare to life. The front door opened, Ayumi staring at her, still wearing her pajamas.

"You're early," Ayumi told her, stepping aside to let her in.

"I figured we could study," Kagome mumbled, trying not to gasp for breath. Reprimanding herself for being out of shape, she followed Ayumi up to her room and sat on the traditional futon mattress.

"I was looking on the net last night. There are some online practice tests for the permit. I figured we could study some and then do those."

"That would be good. It would let us know if we're not getting something," Kagome told her. Ayumi nodded, walking over to her desk and pulling a notebook from the shelf and pens from a cup holder before walking over and sitting next to Kagome.

Both girls began taking notes and taking turns reading aloud to eachother, pausing every now and again to ask questions or make a note in their notebooks. Kagome realized that riding in the city was going to be vastly different from the track, and wondered if she or Ayumi were up to the task. While she had a motorcycle waiting for her, Ayumi didn't, and splitting practice between one would be difficult, especially when it was staying at Kouga's, and the book reiterated, again and again, that constant practice was necessary.

Hoping to figure something out later, Kagome focused on the part of the book that talked about weather conditions, trying to imagine everything from rain to hail, and shuddering when she imagined hail hitting her helmet.

"It is a bit much, isn't it?" Ayumi asked quietly.

"I never thought there would be this much involved with riding," Kagome groaned, leaning back against the wall behind her and rubbing her eyes. "I have no idea how I'm even going to be able to pass the test."

"We could try the practice tests," Ayumi suggested. "It can't hurt anything."

"I guess," Kagome agreed, readying herself for a resounding failure as Ayumi walked over to her computer and opened her internet browser. She clicked a bookmarked link and Kagome watched over her shoulder, waiting for the page to load.

Two clicks and they were staring at a practice test, the first question make Kagome blink stupidly.

"What are the requirements for wearing a helmet?" She asked, voice raising an octave.

"Maybe it gets harder as it goes along?" Ayumi guessed, clicking the third answer, all passengers and riders must wear a helmet at all times' which, as Kagome knew it would be, was correct.

Ayumi's assumption was only half correct, in that the questions got harder. Marginally. Both she and Kagome agreed each time, within moments, what the proper answer was, and each time, the website gave a green telling them that they had been correct.

"Maybe this is why so many people on motorcycles wreck," Kagome muttered. "The test is so easy."

"I thought it would be a lot more difficult, especially considering the amount of information in the book Kouga got you."

"I know, right? Maybe someone should petition for an overhaul of the test itself. I don't even understand how people fail this," Kagome muttered as she pointed to the second answer for the next to last question. "If this is what the actual test is like, then there's no way we can fail. It's all common sense stuff."

"Maybe the world is short on common sense," Ayumi observed, clicking the answer and going to the next question after a green light had flashed. Kagome made a rude sound, truly shocked at the simplicity of the test. There had been a few questions based on traffic laws, and a few based off of emergency situations, but most of it seemed to apply to common sense areas, such as how to carry a passenger and how to become more visible to cars.

"Want to go take it tomorrow morning?" Ayumi asked. "We can take the bus to the DMV and take our tests early, that way we get them out of the way and can tell the guys."

"Sounds good to me," Kagome said, walking back over to the futon and sitting down, eyes on the ceiling. "I wonder what they'll say."

"I'd like to think they'd be happy," Ayumi said, coming back to sit next to Kagome. "After all, you definitely need it, and I would like to learn, although I'll have to get a bike."

"We can trade off," Kagome told her friend, wondering if Ayumi would be gifted with something as large as a motorcycle. If she was, there would be no denying that there was some sort of attraction or that they were intending to bring her in as pack of some sort. And like before, Kagome didn't believe it was simple friendship. But she wasn't willing to push Ayumi on her thoughts again, remembering the conversation in the hotel.

"Kouga told me to call him around noon or one to grab some lunch. Want to join us?"

"Sounds good. I can't believe I'm studying during summer break," Ayumi sighed, getting up and walking over to her closet. "Do we need our helmet and jackets?"

"Probably not. Kouga made it sound like they've all been working on something, and lunch would be more of a break than anything."

"Well it's after twelve now, better figure out where he wants to meet us," Ayumi sighed, quickly changing while Kagome pulled her phone from her bag and dialed Kouga's number. Three rings passed before he answered. She could hear two people arguing in the background, one of them sounding like Ginta. The other however, sounded nothing like Hakkaku.

"Is everything alright? I can call back," Kagome offered.

"No, it's just a pissy customer with more money than sense," Kouga growled. "Any idea where you want to eat?"

"I've really only eaten in Shibuya," Kagome admitted quietly.

"If you want to go there that's fine. I just need to get out of the shop, the guys too."

"Ayumi-"

"That's perfect, she'll calm the guys down. Hakkaku's already stepped out to avoid torching the asshole."

Kagome wasn't sure what to make of that at all, especially considering Hakkaku was the calmer of the two, at least it had always seemed that way to her.

"We can meet outside of the 109 building and see what's there," Kagome offered.

"Wonderful. See you soon, I need to go take care of this," Kouga told her, not waiting before he hung up. Kagome pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a moment, completely dumbfounded.

"They're having a long day," She finally said, seeing Ayumi's questioning glance. "Or a bad customer."

"Oh, so are we still going?" Ayumi asked, seeming to sag at the possibility that lunch had been canceled.

"No, we're going to meet them in Shibuya. It sounded like they needed to get out."

"Oh. I wonder what the problem was," Ayumi wondered. "But if we're going to meet them, we need to get going."

"Yeah," Kagome said, getting up and stretching before grabbing her small wallet and slipping it into her back pocket and following Ayumi downstairs. "It's still strange, I heard Ginta yelling in the background, and even Hakkaku was mad."

"Really?" Ayumi asked, spinning on her heels and regarding Kagome through shocked brown eyes. "Upstairs."

"What- why?" Kagome asked as Ayumi began pushing her back up the stairs.

"If it's that bad they need something."

"Need what?" Kagome demanded as she tried not to trip up the stairs and fall face first into one of them. Ayumi's sudden shift in demeanor left her mentally listing, wondering what was going on as she was fairly shoved into the bedroom and Ayumi walked for her closet.

"We're almost the same size," Ayumi said, opening her closet and pulling out a sun dress.

"I know, but why does that matter, and why are you changing?" Kagome asked.

"We are changing."

"Why?"

"Because the guys are in a bad mood."

"I'm still not seeing or understanding your logic."

"Cute girls make guys happy," Ayumi giggled.

"You've been talking to Yuka, haven't you?" Kagome asked.

"Not funny. Now change."

Kagome reluctantly accepted the skirt and tank top Ayumi held out on hangers, grateful that the skirt was a modest knee length, flowing when she pulled it up her hips and zipped the side. Ayumi was pulling on a sundress and humming spinning once. The sundress flared and she giggled happily. Kagome watched, a brows raised in speculation.

"I love skirts that do that," Ayumi explained. "That one does too."

Kagome spun experimentally, watching the skirt rise and twirl with her movement.

"Fun, isn't it?"

It was, and slightly addictive, because Kagome couldn't stop herself from doing it again, giggling as she did so.

"Come on, we need to get going," Ayumi reminded her, offering her a pair of sandals, which were almost perfect, maybe a half size too big for her as she slipped them on and ran down the stairs behind Ayumi.

"Wait, wallet," Kagome groaned, running back up the stairs.

"I can carry it in my purse," Ayumi called up after her as she dashed back in the room and pulled her wallet from her jeans, then running back down the stairs, stumbling over the sandal as it slipped and falling down the last three, catching herself on her hands.

"Same clumsy Kagome," Ayumi giggled as she helped her up. Kagome blushed hotly, handing her the wallet and rubbing her hands, which had gotten a mild case of carpet burn.

"You'd think I'd have gotten over that with learning to balance on a motorcycle," Kagome muttered as they walked outside. Ayumi shrugged, shouldering her purse and heading for the bus stop, where two other people were already waiting. An older woman smiled at them kindly, working on knitting, and a teenage boy gave them both appraising an appraising once over.

"I feel silly," Kagome admitted.

"Why?"

"Dressing up like this."

"You're not really dressed up," Ayumi told her. "It's just looking nice instead of showing up in jeans. Kouga will like it."

"So why did you dress up then?" Kagome asked, immediately wishing she hadn't asked when Ayumi's smile faltered. But as if it hadn't wavered, she straightened and tilted her head, smile firmly back in place.

"All guys like having a cute girl around, even if they're not involved with her."

Kagome said nothing, wondering what that moment had been, and what it was she had seen, or not seen, in the moment that her friend's easy going smile had wavered. Resigning to a more in depth conversation later, when going to go see the topics of that conversation didn't loom, she waited patiently, silently, for the bus to come.

For most of the ride to Shibuya, both she and Ayumi were mostly silent, each lost in their own thoughts. But as they drew closer, an older gentleman got on, and Kagome couldn't help but notice him staring at her intently. At first she thought it was just a passing glance, maybe even a mild curiosity. But the longer the bus ran, the longer he stared, and the more uncomfortable she began to feel.

Shuffling closer to Ayumi, she noticed that her friend had noticed the stranger staring as well, and Kagome didn't protest when she felt her friend's hand searching for hers, clinging to it tightly and lacing their fingers together. The man did nothing, and his expression didn't change at all. He continued staring, almost as if he was studying her. It was an eerie feeling she didn't like in the least, and she regretted her decision to give in to Ayumi's demand concerning her clothing.

When their stop was announced, she tugged Ayumi forward to the entrance and quickly stepped down, tugging her friend with her. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she almost relaxed when Ayumi crowded next to her, hand tightening to the point Kagome flinched, pain shooting up from her carpet burned palm to her fingers jolting from being crushed between Ayumi's.

"He's following us," Ayumi whispered.

Knowing they would look slightly out of place, Kagome didn't care as she began to walk at a fast clip for the 109 building, casting out her senses and looking for Kouga. She couldn't feel him anywhere, but she knew that didn't mean anything, not if he was cloaking his aura, as he had before. Hoping to catch his attention, wherever he was, she let her own ki flare, hoping he would pick up on it.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw the man had picked up his own pace, brushing against people and not even taking the time to apologize. Knowing then that he was following them, she tried to send her aura out further, hoping that the distress she felt communicated through the waves she sent out.

"Kagome, do you know him?"

"No. Just keep walking. We might be able to lose him."

But the stranger stayed on their trail, and Kagome hoped that whatever it was he wanted, he wouldn't try in a crowd. Panic clogged her throat, kept her from turning and demanding to know what he wanted. Ayumi's fear, translating easily through her tight grip and the way she stayed close to Kagome's side, only worsened the feeling.

They were almost to the intersection, clogged with people, when she heard the tell tale roar of motorcycles. Praying it was Kouga, she walked faster, redoubling her efforts as they rushed for the intersection. She turned again, saw the man catching up to them, looking younger, hungry. Afraid of that look, recognizing it from a hundred youkai and humans she had come across before, each wanting the jewel or her, she sent out a panicked plea.

And jumped back form the edge of the sidewalk when a motorcycle came to an abrupt halt next to it, Kouga yanking his helmet off, concern etching his features into a frown.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone was following us," Ayumi started, voice trembling. Ginta and Hakkaku came in at that exact moment, one following the other as they stopped their bikes next to Kouga's.

"Where?" Kouga demanded, voice rough. Kagome turned, pointing in the direction of the man. The stranger had stopped, eyes wide, as if he'd been hit. Kagome could feel waves of Kouga's youki pulsing out angrily, buffeting against her skin as he did something, what it was Kagome didn't understand. But the whole world passed them by, as if nothing was happening. But she felt...Something. Like a physical wind needling into her skin.

And the stranger's expression gave away that he felt it as well, panic lacing with anger as he stumbled back into other pedestrians before turning and shoving past other people, running away.

"What, who was that?" Kagome asked, pole axed as the wind died down around her, leaving her whole body tingle as if it had fallen asleep.

"Smelled like incense," Ginta muttered, pulling off his helmet.

"Otoroshi," Kouga growled, still glaring in the direction that stranger had gone.

"What?" Kagome gasped, looking in the direction the youkai had run off in and then back to Kouga. "Kouga-"

"I can explain somewhere else," He told her, voice tight, then looked down at her. "You don't have your helmet."

"We thought you all would be busy, and we were only going to get lunch," Kagome started, feeling stupid for leaving them behind when he let out an exasperated sound. "I'm sorry," She added meekly.

"No, it's not you," He told her, gaze softening. "I'm glad you're alright. And that, whatever you did. You did good."

"Guys, we need to park," Hakkaku said. Kagome didn't want to leave Kouga's side, not when the Otoroshi, whatever it was, was still out there, and wanted her, for whatever reason.

"I will be right back," Kouga promised. "Stay right here. And if it comes back, if anyone approaches you that you don't recognize, run and do what you did before," He commanded sternly.

Kagome nodded, not opening her mouth because she was sure a distressed sound, something unearthly, would erupt as she watched them all pull away from the curb and weave through traffic. Ayumi said nothing, but Kagome could feel her friend trembling despite the warm summer sun bearing down on them.

Keeping her eyes on the crowd, she looked for anyone staring at her or coming at her purposefully. It was a tense, nerve wracking wait, one that had her counting each second, growing colder by the minute.

Kouga was easy to spot as he came closer, his aura still swelling impressively, Ginta and Hakkaku's rolling beneath it, like wind beneath lightning as they walked purposefully toward them, frowns on their faces. Wondering if they had come across it after parking, Kagome walked towards them, pulling Ayumi along behind them.

It wasn't until Ginta threw an arm over Ayumi's shoulder that Kagome felt the pressure on her hand ease, then release completely as Hakkaku came to her other side, his arm going over her shoulder to rest on Ginta's. Kouga did the same, pulling her close to his side in a protective embrace.

"Kouga-"

"Not here," He sighed. "Some place with fewer people."

They were in Shibuya, one of the busiest districts in Tokyo. She had no idea where they were going to find any place remotely appropriate for a conversation. But Kouga seemed to know a place, walking down the sidewalk and directing her to take a corner before they walked two more blocks, the road dead ending in a park.

There were people scattered about, but they were all far apart, islands of activity beneath trees or in the direct sunlight. Kouga walked them to a large oak, letting his helmet drop to the ground and sitting, tugging her down into his lap.

"I'm glad you're safe," He whispered, hugging her tightly.

"Who is Otoroshi?" Kagome asked as Ginta and Hakkaku spread their jackets on the ground for Ayumi to sit on.

"Not who, what," Ginta muttered.

"One of the few youkai comfortable on holy grounds," Hakkaku added.

"They usually stick to shrine grounds," Kouga sighed. "I don't know what one was doing here."

"But what is it?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"They're said to devour the impious and the blasphemous."

"What?" Kagome asked, completely confused. "But why would it try to come after me?"

"You're a miko," Ginta said, almost delicately. Kagome still didn't understand, looking to Kouga for clarification. Nothing was forthcoming, only reinforcing the feeling of dread that had been tightening around her throat, making it difficult to breathe.

"To most that can see, it's obvious you're, ah, seeing a youkai," Hakkaku tried.

"What?" Kagome asked, feeling stupid.

"It's a sort of psychic scent, I guess," Kouga groaned. "It's inevitable when- It's noticeable," He finished flatly. "And an otoroshi would see a miko choosing a youkai as blasphemy."

"It wanted to devour Kagome?" Ayumi asked shrilly, making all of them jump. Hakkaku turned to her, taking her hand and making quieting sounds. Kagome felt Kouga's arms squeezing her again as he released a long, frustrated sigh.

"Can't I just purify it, if I have to?" Kagome asked quietly.

"I don't know," Kouga admitted. "It can live peacefully on shrines. I'm not sure reikon has any effect on it."

"I live on a shrine. You walked onto it, you came into my house," She said, dots connecting in her mind. "That doesn't make any sense."

"There's more than one there," He admitted quietly. "But I didn't see them, only feel them. I don't know why they let me pass, I honestly didn't think too much about it. It's been a long time since I've come near one, but they're rare these days, and they've never been particularly strong."

"Do you think it'll try to go after her?" Ayumi asked, more calm than she had been moments before, but still visibly on edge.

"I don't know. They don't normally leave their homes unless they're chasing someone that defiled the shrine they live in."

"Do you think it was from my home, and following me?"

"When did it get on the bus?"

"Halfway down the line," Kagome told him. "We were coming from Ayumi's, she's only a few blocks from me."

"Then I doubt it. The behavior just doesn't make any sense."

"We've been out of the loop a long time," Ginta sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Maybe they've changed with the lack of shrines. Maybe he was displaced. I've never heard what happens to one if it's home is torn down."

"That could be it," Hakkaku agreed thoughtfully. "It's the only thing that makes sense anyway. Maybe, maybe we could ask one."

"Oh yeah, because I'm going to waltz up to one and offer myself up," Kagome snorted.

"But the ones in your home didn't disturb you," Ginta tried. "And the youki would still have been present when you got back. It takes a while for it to fade. So obviously the ones at your shrine see something differently."

Kagome leaned into Kouga, sighing heavily. Of all the things that could have occurred, a youkai coming after her was the last thing she had expected, especially in the present era. That it was a youkai that wanted to hurt her for being with Kouga only scraped against a long forgotten nerve, one that had always been tender, given the attitudes she had come across in the feudal era.

"I want to do it. I want to figure out what's going on," Kagome said, proud that her own nervousness didn't echo in her voice. "Maybe they can tell us how to stop it, if my powers won't work."

"Well, didn't want to go back and deal with that piece of crap in the shop anyway," Hakkaku announced.

"The otoroshi will be easier to handle than that asshole," Ginta agreed.

"You're not-" Kouga began.

"Pack sticks together. Besides, it might try to go after you and Kagome, but it has no reason to come after us. And who would say no to extra hands?" Ginta asked.

"Except a headstrong idiot," Hakkaku agreed, voice meditative.

"I'm not leaving Kagome," Ayumi announced quietly.

"Now wait," Kagome began, stopping when Ayumi gave her a stern look, one that reminded her far too much of her own mother.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Ayumi," Ginta started.

"It's not safe for-" Hakkaku began.

"Kagome is my friend," Ayumi interrupted. "And she didn't have us when she was going to the past. I'm not going to let that happen again. I am not leaving her." Every word echoed with finality, and Kagome knew that while it might be dangerous, Ayumi wasn't blaspheming. At least she didn't think so. Which meant, hopefully, nothing bad would happen to her. And she couldn't help but feel humbled in the face of Ayumi's determination, knowing how frightened the other girl had been before.

"Thank you," Kagome murmured softly, taking Ayumi's nod as one of acknowledgment.

"No time like the present, I guess," Ginta sighed.

"But there's a problem," Hakkaku added.

"What?"

"We can't take you guys without gear," Kouga growled. "I'm not going through Tokyo with you on back knowing some of the psychotic assholes around here."

"We could all take the bus," Ginta began.

"You can't leave your bikes here," Kagome protested. "Who knows how long we'll be, or if we'll even be able to come back today? They could be stolen or impounded."

"I'm not leaving you alone," Kouga growled. "That thing probably didn't go far, and I'm not going to let it catch you without protection."

"One of us can go get the truck and hitch it to the trailer," Ginta finally said.

"It wouldn't take too long, at least to get to the shop, and we can drive to Kagome's."

Kagome nodded, finding no fault in the idea. It wasn't expedient, and she wanted to go find whatever otoroshi lived in her shrine that very second, but leaving the motorcycles in a busy area like Shibuya for hours was asking for trouble, and she wouldn't bring any more than they already had.

"I can go get the truck. I'll be back soon," Ginta volunteered, standing quickly.

"Don't forget your jacket,' Ayumi reminded him, shifting and handing it to him. "Be safe."

"Always," He joked, pulling the jacket on and zipping it up before accepting the helmet Ayumi held out. He walked away with quick, tight strides, belying his carefree remark and farewell. Everyone watched him go silently before turning back to one another, faces neutral.

"It's so strange, to suddenly know about all of this," Ayumi admitted.

"Ayumi, it's alright. You don't-" Kagome began.

"No," Ayumi said, eyes snapping to meet her own. "I meant what I said Kagome. When you told me about what happened, I felt badly that you couldn't tell us, that we couldn't really be there for you. You're my best friend. I- I don't want it to be like that time. We're friends, and friends are there for each other."

Kagome's throat tightened dangerously, eyes suddenly burning. The belonging feeling she had gained in the course of a month intensified with Ayumi's quiet declaration. That one of her childhood friends, her human friends, accepted her history and her life so easily, refused to run away when something clearly frightened her, meant more than Kagome could have fathomed.

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled again, determined not to cry.

"Kami, you're both going to start bawling, aren't you?" Kouga asked gruffly. Kagome elbowed him gently in his stomach, the tears beginning to recede at his seemingly callous statement.

"Jerk," She mumbled, leaning back into him.

"That was pretty rude Kouga," Hakkaku said, but he was smiling as he said it. Kagome knew both males had been getting uncomfortable, and that both her and Ayumi's moment had probably been too emotional, too open for both of them.

"Like a goddamn chick flick," Kouga grunted as Kagome elbowed him again.

"You know what that means though?" Hakkaku chuckled.

"What's that?" Kouga asked, shifting to accommodate Kagome more easily in his lap.

"Ayumi just claimed Kagome."

"I-I what?" Ayumi asked, eyes widening.

"She did," Kouga agreed.

"But I just told her she was my friend," Ayumi stuttered. Kagome cast a curious glance between both chuckling males, wondering if her assumption was correct, if they were insinuating what she thought they were, and what it would mean, if anything, to Ayumi.

"Kagome was claimed as pack in the old days," Hakkaku informed Ayumi.

"I don't understand," Ayumi said, face still a vivid pink as everyone stared at her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Depends on how you look at it," Kouga snorted, but it held a note of mirth, lacking the edge of anxiety that had been present in his words since arriving in Shibuya. The lack of bite and the added softness of restrained laughter made Kagome relax, even knowing what was out there. She was with her friends, and she was safe.

"What do you mean?"

Even Kagome had to admit that Ayumi's confusion was cute, the girl obviously embarrassed at being put on the spot.

"Well, you pretty much just claimed someone as pack, by our standards. None of us is going to dispute it. And when you claim someone that's already in a pack," He started, trailing off, his delight clearly showing when Ayumi grew even more confused.

"You claim the whole pack," Kouga finished at last.

"Huh?"

"I think they're telling you, in their wonderfully confusing way, is that you're pack now."

"Like Kagome."

"Pack?"

"Ours," Kouga informed her. "Like family."

Ayumi blinked obliquely, the words not seeming to register at first. When they did, she cast a shy glance at Hakkaku, and then at Kouga and Kagome.

"You don't mind?"

"We didn't dispute it," Kouga told her. "Which means we're good with it."

"What about Ginta?" She asked, looking to Hakkaku. Kouga didn't restrain a half choked snort, something that, had the others not been there, Kagome was positive would have been laughter. She also knew she would have made a similar sound, had it not been for Ayumi's presence.

"He's alright with it," Hakkaku supplied.

"Oh," Ayumi said, looking back down at her knees.

"Don't worry, it's not like the old days where you have to go make a kill and present it to the alpha," Kouga told her, voice slightly rough.

"You never made me do that," Kagome pointed out, hoping he was joking.

"Didn't need to. The birds of paradise."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Kouga laughed.

"Birds of paradise?" Ayumi asked, confused once again.

"I could always let Hakkaku have this one," Kagome offered, seeing the youkai mentally bouncing and waving his hand in the air like a child in class with the answer and desperately trying to be picked.

Hakkaku's rendition of events varied not only from Kagome's, but apparently Kouga's as well, both of them sputtering and choking more than once, especially when Hakkaku described how Kouga swept Kagome off of her feet and took her to his cave, brows waggling so suggestively even Ayumi was blushing as she giggled. The story was spun to be humorous instead of frightening, and Kagome mentally thanked him, knowing it was helping to ease the tension and anxiety of what awaited, and almost completely obliterating Ayumi's fear.

Wondering if the ookami had mentioned the addition of pack as a way to divert her attention as well, she leaned shifted in Kouga's lap, leaning her head against his.

Hakkaku was impersonating a jealous, angry Inu Yasha when Ginta strode over to them, waving his arm. Kagome got up, offering her hand to Kouga, half expecting him to ignore it. But he accepted the offered contact and got up, grabbing his helmet and walking next to her, not letting her hand go as they followed the others over to Ginta.

The tension began to return as the youkai loaded their motorcycles into the trailer and dropped their helmets and jackets inside. Ginta and Hakkaku got into the back, Ayumi seated comfortably between them in the spacious seat, and Kagome got in the front with Kouga, who started the truck and pulled into traffic with ease.

The only saving grace during the drive and the traffic that slowed to a snail's pace was Hakkaku's announcement that Ayumi knew she was pack, which in turn delighted Ginta. Both began aping Inu Yasha and Kouga from the feudal era, poking fun at how they had acted and how difficult it had been to keep up with Kouga back then. As if determined to keep the atmosphere light, they made bigger and bigger fools of themselves until even Kagome was giggling, turning in her seat now and again to add in some tidbit they had missed.

At some point during the drive, Kouga had grabbed her hand, holding it on the center console and stroking the inside of her palm with his thumb. She squeezed it now and again, finding a reassurance in the contact as he left Shibuya and it's bustling crowds behind and drove into the outer limits of downtown, going deeper into the suburbs.

When he parked near the shrine, silence descended, stifling in the cab of the truck.

"Come on guys, I want to get this over with," Kagome announced firmly. The others nodded and they all got out of the truck. The walk was short, and they closer they got, the more Ayumi gravitated to her. Unwilling to repay her friend's loyalty with any sort of distance, Kagome wove her fingers through Ayumi's and held her hand, saying nothing when Ayumi's grip tightened.

"Why do shrines have so many steps?" Ginta sighed. "It's like they don't want people to come."

"Maybe it's to make sure only the truly devout come?" Ayumi guessed. "Or to keep the priests in good shape. They do sit a lot, don't they?"

"That makes more sense than some of the stuff my brother and I used to guess," Kagome laughed. "And it did keep us in good shape when we were going up and down them every day for school and to see people. Sweeping them was a major pain though."

"I remember," Ayumi laughed. Kagome knew it was nervous babble, anything to keep their minds from running away and projecting the worst possible outcome. When they made it to the top, Kagome looked around, casting out her senses and searching for the presence of youki.

"I don't feel anything," She admitted.

"They're here. There are four."

"Four?" Ayumi asked, voice trembling lightly.

"One for each building," Hakkaku observed.

"That's how it normally is. Looks like the house got one too."

"Where are they though?" Kagome demanded. "How can I get them to talk to us?"

"I guess we try to enter one of the buildings."

"Won't they try to hurt Kagome though?" Ayumi asked.

"That's why we're here," Kouga replied confidently, striding towards the temple, taking Kagome with him. Kagome followed, barely able to keep up with his steps as they drew closer to the temple. The others followed, their youkai rolling around and over her, meshing with Kouga's. Remembering what she had done before, she let her own ki slip free and curl and twine with Kouga's, hoping it would provoke one of the otoroshi into appearing.

Kouga was on the porch and reaching for the door when it slid open, a loud, shrill scream erupting and startling everyone back.

Ofuda flew through the air, sticking to all of them as her grandfather threw the papers with unerring precision. Prayers sang through the air, echoing as he continued throwing them before stopping abruptly, small eyes growing wide in his wrinkles.

"Kagome? You're not a demon," Her grandfather observed.

Kagome tried to keep a hold on her temper, almost afraid to look at Kouga. His youki spoke well enough for him, annoyance and mild surprise echoing through it.

"Hi grandpa," She greeted through clenched teeth. "You are correct. I am not a youkai."

"I could have sworn I felt the presence of something sinister," Her grandfather mumbled. "Hello everyone. Has Kagome brought you to tour our shrine? It's a very old shrine, very important. We have many stories-"

"Grandpa," She started, peeling ofuda off of her. "You've met Ayumi. And this is Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku."

"Are they demons?"

Kagome knew telling the truth at that exact moment would only result in even more scrolls flying though the air, and when she looked to Kouga, who was peeling the scrolls off of himself with no apparent ill effects, she saw amusement and frustration warring in his eyes, as if he wanted the ordeal to be over as much as she did, but couldn't quite suppress the laughing disbelief that her grandfather provoked with ease.

"Maybe this is a conversation best had with mom," She said firmly, crumpling the last of the ofuda in her hand, forming a large paper ball. "Let's go to the house."

Because one or the other would be delayed, and her mother would find out sooner or later. Her grandfather opted to stay in the shrine to 'find the evil presence' when she began leading them to the house, her face in her hand as she tried to come up with some explanation for her grandfather's behavior.

"Was he for real?" Hakkaku asked quietly, looking over his shoulder as they walked up the steps to her house.

"He seemed harmless enough," Ginta snorted.

"He's crazy," Kagome muttered, opening the front door. "And I'm sorry he did that."

"It's fine," Kouga laughed. "It's not like they worked."

Which Kagome was uttering a thousand mental thank yous for. Whatever force had gifted her with power, they had not seen fit to give it to her grandfather, and that was a blessing in and of itself.

"Mom?" She called out.

"In the kitchen dear," Her mother's voice echoed.

"Ayumi, could you show them to the living room, I'm going to go talk to mom. I'm not sure I want to spring this on her," Kagome murmured, casting an apologetic glance at Kouga. "You know, the tail would probably help."

"No," Kouga said flatly.

"Tail?" Ayumi asked, a smile beginning to tilt up the corners of her lips as her eyes widened in curious adoration. "You guys have tails?"

"Our natural forms do," Ginta said, smiling widely.

"Can I see?" She asked excitedly, walking to the living room.

Though they were out of sight, Kagome could tell when Ginta or Hakkaku, possibly both, revealed that part of their anatomy to her friend, because there was a happy, high pitched squeal of delight followed by loud, adoring cooing.

And a disgusted sound from Kouga.

Steeling herself, she walked further down the hall to the kitchen, where her mother was working on dinner.

"Hi mom," She greeted cautiously.

"Hello sweetie. I didn't expect you back so soon," Nodoka said, chopping some potatoes. "Didn't you have a date this afternoon?"

"It um- I did."

"Did it not go well?" Nodoka asked, putting the knife down and turning to Kagome, wiping her hands on the towel that had been resting next to the cutting board.

"Something happened in Shibuya. It's sort of a long story," She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She had not wanted her mother to meet the others with any sort of situation occurring. In fact, she had been hoping her other would meet Kouga in a stress free environment, with warning. Lots of warning.

"But Kouga and the others are here," She chirruped brightly. "We decided to come back to the shrine."

"That's nice. Are they staying for dinner?"

"I don't know yet," Kagome said, not knowing when, or if, they would be able to talk to one of the otoroshi. It had been mentioned that one guarded her house, and all of them walking in together had provoked nothing, which meant walking into the temple itself might not result in anything but walking in.

"We can ask them then," Nodoka said, face serene as she followed Kagome down the hall and into the living room, where Ayumi was sitting on the couch between Ginta and Hakkaku, her face flush with happiness as she stared down at the tails resting next to each leg. The two ookami were blushing lightly, barely visible beneath their tan skin, but there all the same when they waved weakly at Kagome and her mother.

"Mom, this is Kouga," Kagome introduced first. Kouga was still standing, looking awkward and out of place in her living room. He bowed slightly, eyes widening when Nodoka extended her hand. He shook it hesitantly, as if unsure of the gesture itself.

"It's nice to meet you Kouga," Nodoka said warmly. "Kagome's told me about you."

"She has?" He asked, suddenly looking panicked. Kagome watched as he awkwardly tried to compose himself as quickly as he had let the anxiety slip, and she couldn't restrain the giggle that escaped into the silence.

"She said you make her laugh," Nodoka chuckled lightly, releasing his hand. "I'm grateful my daughter has met someone that does."

"Oh, um, thank you," He mumbled, flushing under her mother's intent stare.

"And this is Ginta and that's Hakkaku," Kagome finished, watching as both youkai stood and shook her mother's hand lightly.

She did not miss her mother's eyes lighting on their tails.

Neither did Ayumi.

"Aren't they cute?" Ayumi breathed, smiling widely.

"Do you," Nodoka started, looking at Kouga, who had not dropped his disguise as the others had. He was visibly hesitant, and Kagome walked over to him, smiling widely and affecting the best cute stare she had.

"Sh-uh, yeah," He grumbled, his disguise fading to reveal his true self.

Including his tail.

"Oh my. I understand now," Nodoka said, a hand coming to her lips to half cover a smile. "And you are an ookami?"

Kouga nodded, blushing under the inquisitive gaze.

"Are you all staying for dinner?" Her mother asked next.

"I think we need to talk about something," Kagome sighed, looking to her mom. "There's a bit of a situation, something we have to take care of."

"Is everything alright?"

"There's a youkai here in Tokyo. It's-" Kagome started, unsure of how to tell her mother.

"It disapproves of a miko and a youkai becoming involved," Kouga finished. "It followed Kagome today, and until it's gone, or subdued, I don't feel comfortable leaving Kagome alone."

Kagome didn't know if it was a mode her mother slipped into, or if her mother was just that good at hiding her true feelings, but she nodded serenely and accepted the explanation without a hint of anger or fear.

"And fighting it here would be safer than fighting it in the city," Nodoka guessed.

"Actually, we were hoping to try and find out information about it, try and figure out how to deal with it without having to use violence," Kagome supplied quickly, not wanting Kouga or one of the other youkai to give the blunt, quick yes that might prove to tip her mother's favor into something less than pleasant.

"Your grandfather is the only one I can think of that would know," Nodoka supplied, her expression questioning when Kouga and Kagome both made a disagreeable noise.

"We've already met grandpa. He covered all of us in ofuda."

"Oh, well, he always had a strange way of greeting youkai."

"He didn't know they were youkai," Kagome grumbled sourly.

Nodoka sighed, although it was an amused sound.

"I need to go to the store to get more for dinner. I suppose I can take him with me while you do what it is you need to," Nodoka offered.

"That would be amazing," Kagome admitted.

"I'll go get him then. Do I need to take Souta as well?"

"If it's possible?" Kagome tried weakly, offering an unsure smile. It felt like she was pushing her luck, but knowing that if her brother came down and saw three ookami, any hope of getting something done would be lost.

"It's fine dear. Just promise to stay for dinner so I can get to know your young man and friends better."

"Yes momma," She nodded as her mother called out for Souta to meet her outside to go shopping.

"Your mom called me young man," Kouga choked.

"Well, it's not like she's really thinking about how old you are, cradle robber," Kagome snorted. "And I told you, the cute animal parts are her weakness."

"Hear that, she called your tail cute," Hakkaku snickered.

"I don't see either of you protesting the fan between you," Kouga muttered, coloring even further.

"Alright Kagome, I'm going to go get your grandfather now, Souta is already outside," Nodoka said from the entrance before walking away. Kagome called out a goodbye and looked to her friends, who all looked out of place in her living room. Groaning, she walked over to the loveseat and plopped down onto it, staring at the ceiling and wishing for a pillow to scream into.

"Could be worse," Kouga said, sitting next to her and pulling her close, until she was tucked into his side.

"How?"

"Well, you could have fallen in love with Sesshoumaru instead," He offered, earning a theatrical shudder not only from her, but from both Ginta and Hakkaku as well.

"No thanks," Kagome muttered. "But you guys are in the house, so the otoroshi is alright with you, I guess."

"Yeah," Hakkaku sighed, tipping his head back.

"I noticed too. Not that I'm going to complain. Explaining that to the crazy old man would have been difficult."

"Impossible. It would have been impossible," Kagome informed them. "But I can't think of any way to get it's attention. I know nothing about them."

"We could always go talk to them," Ayumi suggested.

"We can't find them. Their scents are everywhere, and they're damned good at hiding themselves," Ginta groaned, rubbing his face with both hands and exhaling gustily.

"Can't hurt to just go talk," Kagome told them. "The worst that happens is we look stupid talking to air."

"Anything's better than sitting around," Kouga agreed. "Give your family a few minutes to get some distance. If anything does happen, I'd rather it not happen while they can hear. It's bad enough your mom had to meet me like this."

"She likes you," Kagome informed him smartly.

"Oh, how can you tell?"

"She invited you to stay for dinner."

"Taki did that. And she hated me."

"My mom and Taki are very different people," She snorted. "I'm not sure who would win in a fight."

"Taki, hands down," Kouga answered immediately.

"My mom can outnice anyone, and she's got the patience of a saint. Trust me, I've tried it often enough."

"Taki would eat her alive."

"She would try, my mom would just be nice and sweet and probably confuse her," Kagome giggled, imagining the two meeting. That would be an awkward conversation, maybe even an awkward month, for Taki at least. Kagome wasn't sure her mother knew how to be awkward.

"Fair enough. Maybe we'll have a huge get together sometime," Kouga told her.

"That sounds nice."

"Oh god, can you imagine everyone together?" Ginta laughed.

"Taki really would eat your other friends."

"I might pay to watch that," Kouga chuckled, earning a light elbow to the stomach. "What?" He asked, shrugging. "You have to admit your friends didn't do a lot to endear themselves to us."

"True," Ayumi admitted. "I think they were in love with the idea of a perfect summer vacation."

"They'll be lucky if they didn't bring something back," Kouga muttered.

"They did," Kagome told him. "They went shopping, we all got outfits and everything."

There was a long silence, and curious, she looked up to Kouga's face, surprised to see that not only was he blushing a vivid, bright red, but he also looked highly uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Nothing," He muttered quickly.

"Kouga," She started, voice filled with warning. He was obviously keeping something from her, and she instinctively knew she wouldn't like whatever it was.

"You don't want to know," He muttered.

"Kouga, if something is wrong," She began, eyes narrowing.

"They're fine. I'm surprised they're fine," He muttered, beginning to shift away from her.

"Meaning?"

"I think Kouga means that Yuka and Eri were lucky there were certain things they didn't get on vacation," Ayumi mumbled quietly. "Considering how they were acting with the guys."

Comprehension came down on Kagome like a ton of bricks breaking over her head one by one, and she groaned, covering her face with her hands to hide her blush.

"I feel so stupid right now," She said to no one in particular.

"Don't, it didn't occur to you, and I'm an asshole for bringing it up."

"An honest one though," She sighed. "You're right. Actually, I'm more surprised they didn't somehow get pregnant."

There was another long pause and she shot Kouga a quick, panicked glance.

"No! No," He told her, putting both hands in front of himself as he shifted even further away. "Not that I could tell."

Kagome relaxed, trying not to think about how much sex her friends had been having the last few days in Hokkaido, as if they would never get it again after leaving.

"Maybe now is a good time to go talk to the air and ask if it's listening," Hakkaku pointed out calmly. And then he, Ginta and Ayumi quickly made their way outside, leaving her and Kouga alone.

"I'm sorry. I seem to bring up-"

"Completely valid points," Kagome interrupted.

"Like an ass."

"It's fine. You're only being honest," She sighed, getting up. "It is surprising something didn't, that they didn't- Anyway. They're probably still sleeping off their massive hangovers. Let's just go find one of the otoroshi and get this over with."

She was walking to the front door when his hand circled her wrist, stopping her.

"There is another option," He offered quietly.

"If you're about to suggest what I think you're going to, I will zap you so hard you won't be able to disguise yourself for a week," She told him, turning to look him in the eye. "I have had to deal with youkai far more powerful and frightening than some bigoted spirit. So no, there aren't any other options."

Kouga relaxed, visibly sagging and giving her a small, reluctant smile filled with gratitude. It struck Kagome that in just a few weeks she and Kouga had gone further, grown closer than she had thought, and that the idea of giving him up to appease the spirit wasn't only ludicrous, it hurt to contemplate. That he suggested it infuriated her, made her want to find the spirit and physically beat sense into it.

"I wanted to make sure," He told her, looking unsure of himself, almost awkward.

"I wouldn't have brought you to meet my mom if I wasn't," She told him, smiling cheekily. "Although I'm sorry about my grandad. And my brother."

"Your brother throws sutras too?" Kouga asked as he followed her outside.

"No, he'll just hero worship you."

"I think I can deal with that," Kouga chuckled. Kagome made a smug sound, already picturing Souta harassing Kouga about the past and demanding to see what cool powers he possessed. They spotted the others already standing at the entrance to the temple, waiting patiently.

"Want to try this again?" She asked.

"We could always try having sex in there," He offered.

For a moment Kagome wasn't sure what to say, not only because having sex in her family's shrine, in the shrine her father had served at and been eulogized in, was incredibly forbidden in a very non tempting way, but because they hadn't had sex since the morning after he had claimed her, and that was something that she had spared more than passing thought.

"With out luck, my grandpa would come back and cover us in ofudas before worrying about my virginal integrity," She quipped.

"Probably," He chuckled.

Kagome wondered if he'd even realized what he'd said, or if it had been a joke uttered without any thought to the way that part of their relationship was going. That was to say, not at all.

"So, what now?" Ayumi asked when Kagome and Kouga had joined the trio. "Do we just start talking to it? Like a kokkuri board?"

"Kami, I hope not. Those things are hokey. Contacting spirits and everything just seems like a-"

"Youkai dating you?" Ginta supplied.

"Very funny," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe going in the temple would offend them more than going into the house?" She asked, hoping to avoid asking the air questions. Something about speaking to nothingess and making herself look foolish didn't appeal in the least, and she almost hoped going into the temple with Kouga would incite some sort of random violence.

"We can try," He said, taking her hand and walking up to the door again. This time Kagome knew her grandfather wouldn't be waiting, and slid the door open confidently before walking in with Kouga.

"Sense anything?" He asked. She shook her head, casting out her senses and looking for anything, even the tiniest blip on her radar. But she could feel nothing. No malevolence, no youki, not even ill intent or a cold draft.

"Can you find them?" She asked quietly.

"No, the scents are too confused. The incense is killing my head," He admitted.

"Let's get out then. Obviously we're not tempting them into a confrontation this way," She sighed, walking out and sliding the door shut after him. The others watched, expressions neutral, except for Ayumi, who looked faintly relieved.

"Talking to air then?" Hakkaku asked.

"Sure," Kagome sighed. "There's not much else we can do."

"We could always get an exorcist," Ayumi tried, grinning as she said it.

"No. No exorcists. Most are con artists and the ones with any talent would recognize us for what we are, and that is something I am not willing to chance," Kouga muttered. "I'd rather grab a kokkuri board."

"Okay," Kagome announced in a defiant voice, looking up at the sky. "I have had it up to here with youkai messing with my love life. If you are here, and he says you are," She added, looking at Kouga before looking at the sky again, as if addressing one of the kami. "Then I want at least an explanation. It's a youkai like you out in the world, riding on buses and stalking me. I have done my best to be a good miko, and I know I have not always been the paragon of virtue. But I refuse to let anyone call my relationship blasphemous just because it's with Kouga. So a peaceful way to solve this and avoid conflict would be nice," She finished, dragging in a deep breath.

And waited expectantly, as did the others. In fact, there was a solid five minutes of silence where all three youkai scanned the area, eyes darting to and fro, searching the nooks and crannies, especially the higher places. But nothing happened, and nothing answered.

"Someone else gets to try next," She muttered, sitting on the edge of the porch wrapping around the temple.

"Whatever you all think of our relationship, I don't care," Kouga snapped angrily, obviously growing frustrated. "I don't want to kill again, but I will to protect Kagome. If you want to protect one of your own kind, come out and tell us how to solve this!"

Another long silence, and still nothing answered. Kagome focused on the sense of youki around her, feeling Kouga's the most, and Ginta and Hakkaku's beneath it, almost as strong. But there was nothing else. Whatever the ookami could sense, she couldn't. If the otoroshi were there, they were able to escape her detection.

"I don't know why I thought youkai would be cooperative," Kagome sighed, getting up and walking past the others, towards her house. "Most of them are stubborn, mule headed completely arbitrary creatures!" She finished her tirade by shouting at the sky, stalking back to her house.

"I take offense to that," Kouga told her, easily catching up to her.

"Only because you resemble it so much," Hakkaku laughed, although it was a strained sound.

"Kouga? Stubborn?" Ginta asked, voice full of fake disbelief. "Never!"

"Alright guys," Kouga muttered. "Didn't have to run with it."

"They have a point though," Kagome tried, although she was still too frustrated to really laugh. Kouga shrugged, following her into the living room where she sat on the loveseat. He sat next to her, toeing off his boots before leaning against the arm and pulling her into his chest, situating the both of them so that she was cradled between his legs, back to his chest and his arms wrapped around her.

And then there was a camera flash, making both of them jump for it's abruptness.

"The hell," Kouga asked, blinking several times.

"Was waiting for something like that," Ginta chuckled, showing the screen on the digital camera to Ayumi and Hakkaku, who both nodded in approval.

"They're glowering though," Hakkaku said, frowning slightly.

"I'm going to be doing a lot worse if you don't stop," Kouga growled.

"What? I know you would like pictures of you and Kagome to plaster all over the shop," Ginta snorted.

"Maybe he was hoping for the more traditional photo booth type first, then the sweet couch cuddle ones," Hakkaku offered.

"I think he was hoping for one of her on his bike," Ayumi said in a decidedly firm voice, her grin shattering any effect her words would have had. "And Yuka got us these outfits, I think it would be perfect for that sort of picture."

"Ayumi, no," Kagome muttered, blushing hotly. "Yuka is insane and I will never wear that in public. It was a joke."

"You would look like one of those calender girls," Ayumi teased lightly.

"Oh, that sort of outfit," Hakkaku said knowingly, giving Kouga and Kagome both a sly smile. "I think Kouga would like one. Ayumi would have to take the picture though."

"He'd never let a male live after seeing her like that. He'd even keep the picture in his wallet. Or over his be-"

The rest of Ginta's sentence, whatever it would have been, ended with an abrupt yelp, Kouga's boot flying in his direction and landing with a solid thump into the ookami's midsection. Ayumi stared, owl eyed, looking at the boot and then at Kouga, then at the pained expression on Ginta's face.

"He's quick," Ayumi stated simply.

Kouga smiled a smug smile, one that made Kagome roll her eyes, although she couldn't help but laugh a little. The room was mostly silent as she relaxed into him again, bit by bit sinking into his warmth and away from the thought of the otoroshi.

"Until this blows over, you know I'm not leaving you alone, right?" Kouga asked.

Kagome ran through a list of immediate complications, the least of them being that she and Ayumi had wanted to surprise the youkai with their permits and the greatest of which was her mother allowing her boyfriend to sleep under the same roof as her.

"I'm not sure how mom is going to feel about that," Kagome sighed.

"We can do it like a sleepover," Ayumi tried, immediately understanding the dilemma. "Like when we stay here. We'll bring the futons into here and sleep as a group."

"You're kidding," Kouga groaned, tipping his head back. Kagome could feel it more than see it, and she shifted to look at him, wondering if he had been wanting to do something again, now that they had distance between themselves and Hokkaido.

"I'm pretty sure mom will hit the roof if I try to take you to my room," Kagome informed him. "As a group, there's less chance of her trying to brain you with a frying pan."

"Slumber party it is," He commented, voice dry.

"Oh come on," Kagome wheedled, turning until she was facing him. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she desperately wanted to see his expression. "I want to see what a mutt pile is like."

"You told her about mutt piles?" Ginta choked.

"I can't even remember the last time we did that. Before we left the mountains," Hakkaku added.

"What's a mutt pile?" Ayumi asked, looking at Ginta and Hakkaku curiously.

"Back when the pack was bigger, we'd all sleep next to each other for warmth," Ginta explained carefully.

"It usually ended up as a huge dog pile since no one stayed still while they slept," Hakkaku sighed.

"The sounds so cute!" Ayumi fairly squealed.

All three youkai colored vividly, groaning as Kagome and Ayumi giggled helplessly.

"I could toss you off of the couch," Kouga threatened when the giggles turned into body shaking laughter.

"Then I'd just go sleep in my room with Ayumi and you'd have to deal with the guys trying to cuddle you," She retorted quickly, unable to keep from giggling as she said it. Her comment only earned her a glare when the front door opened. She quickly scrambled to sit upright, not wanting her mother to see her sprawled all over Kouga.

"We're home," Nodoka's voice called out.

Two sets of feet fairly thundered down the hall. Souta, who had grown into a tall, lanky teenager, ran into the room first, eyes wide as he took in the group.

"More youkai?" He asked, looking excited. "Like Inu Yasha?"

"I am not like that sh-"

"Kouga, language!" Kagome snapped. Immediately Kouga stiffened and his mouth slammed shut, his error realized a second too late.

"More youkai!" Her grandfather's voice boomed, or tried too, sounding more like a creaking door opened too quickly. "I knew I sensed the presence of evil!"

"Grandpa don't you dare throw those," Kagome started, glaring at her grandfather. He stopped, sutra filled hands suspended in the air.

"Kagome, he is a youkai-"

"I'm well aware. Kouga helped me defeat Naraku and he is a good youkai," She told him, mustering the most commanding tone she could, given her mortification. It was no easy feat to sound threatening, but she managed somehow, plowing on ahead. "You will not try to exorcise, seal, or purify any of them. Or else you'll make mama mad, since she invited them to dinner."

Her grandfather immediately deflated, the threat of angering Nodoka an even bigger peril than having three youkai in the house.

"Do you have a sword?" Souta asked, gaze swinging between the three youkai excitedly.

"I did," Kouga answered, straightening.

"Where is it?"

"I didn't use it, so I put it away."

Kagome realized that she never had seen Kouga use the sword that had been tucked into his sash, and wondered if it had been a keepsake of his father's or something the leader carried. Maybe it had just been for effect, something to make him look tougher.

"Kagome said the powerful youkai had swords."

"Souta, I was talking about Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru, and they were idiots over their swords," She muttered, flushing hotly.

"That's okay, I got something better," Kouga declared, smiling at her slyly.

"What's that?" Souta asked, looking disinterested. Kagome wanted to smack her little brother, or at the very least, find some way to lock him in the wellhouse. But her thoughts abruptly halted when light flashed next to her, and she blinked to clear the dots from her vision before she saw the source.

"Wow," Souta breathed, eyes going wide and attention firmly fixed on Kouga's hand. A clawed gauntlet gleamed wickedly with it's own light, light glinting off of the surface of each long claw and the chains that clicked together before ending in a cuff.

"I remember that," Kagome murmured. "I never got to ask you about it though."

"The ancestors allowed me to take it. It's the Goraishi."

"Much more fitting for an ookami," Hakkaku said, smiling.

"Wolves don't use swords."

Kagome stared at it, mentally completing the sentence. 'Not like humans.' She wondered what Sesshoumaru would have said to that, but pushed it to the back of her mind as Kouga flexed his hand and the gauntlet disappeared.

"Where'd it go?" Souta gasped, blinking rapidly.

"Dunno," Kouga shrugged. "It didn't come with an instruction manual. I The best guess we got is that it fused with me when the ancestors allowed me to have it. It comes when I tell it to, goes away when I tell it to."

"You make it sound like a machine," Kagome commented dryly.

"Sh-eeahm, better," He said, catching the profanity that almost escaped and awkwardly fumbling.

"So what do you do? Do you fight youkai in this time and kick the bad guys as-erm, butt?" Souta asked, as if catching onto the profanity filter. Kagome looked at her little brother in askance, wondering when he had picked up that sort of language.

"I'm a mechanic now," Kouga chuckled. "Most youkai clans police their own. My pack doesn't cause too much trouble, so I can focus on other things."

"A mechanic?" Souta asked flatly.

"He works on motorcycles, including racing bikes. They all do," Kagome told her brother, less than enthused by his reception of the realities of modern youkai life.

"Motorcycles? Do you race them?"

And there it was again, and this time it was a conversation all three youkai participated in, and Kagome looked at Ayumi, nodding to the kitchen. They both got up and waved the guys off, walking down the hall to join her mother.

"I thought we could have yakiniku," Nodoka said, smiling at Kagome and Ayumi as they entered.

"Sounds good," Kagome answered, remembering the way the ookami ate with her and Ayumi, sharing their food and reaching around. Grilling the food on a hotplate would offer room for manners normally eschewed as rude, and Kagome wouldn't have to worry. Although it would mean chopsticks. She couldn't wait to see Kouga's face when he saw them.

"Did you all find out what you needed to know?" Nodoka asked, handing Kagome a squash to cut up on the spare cutting board. Kagome accepted it and grabbed a knife from the block.

"No. The only other thing I can think of is grandpa, and I don't think he'll be able to help us," Kagome sighed. That and she didn't want to subject everyone to a three hour long story about otoroshi that would have the three youkai rolling their eyes or holding in laughter.

"He might be able to help, depending on the youkai," Nodoka tried, offering Kagome an encouraging smile before seasoning the beef in a bowl.

"Mom," Kagome started, realizing she was about to have the conversation she dreaded while her mother was holding a knife.

"What is it sweetie?"

"Kouga doesn't want to leave me alone while the otoroshi is still out there. I know he's a guy, but we were think all of us could sleep downstairs, in the living room," She said in a single rush of air. Kagome wondered if her mother had been able to even understand what she'd said, she had barely been able to.

"All of you?"

"Ayumi, Ginta, Hakkaku, Kouga and I. That way we're all together if something happens." Kagome hoped it sounded innocent, because it really was. The last place she would attempt anything was under the noses of the pack. Not only would it be utterly mortifying, but she was positive she would never hear the end of it, and youkai had long lives.

"I don't see why not, as long as everyone sleeps downstairs," Nodoka said, turning to look at Kagome, her smile replaced with a neutral expression. "Kagome, how serious are you about Kouga?"

She could feel the blood draining from her face and her brain slowly being replaced with air as she tried to search for an answer. Not because she was afraid to tell her mother she was very serious, but because she knew Kouga and the others could hear, and she didn't want to say something that might upset him for being too cavalier or too serious.

"I care about him, a lot," She finally said, blushing hotly and praying Kouga forgave her for being so vague.

Nodoka continued to stare at her, and Kagome could feel the sweat forming on her forehead.

"Alright," Her mother finally said, turning back to the cutting board.

It was as vague as her own answer had been, and Kagome didn't know if that denoted approval or disapproval. It worried her, because her mother had always been forward with her, and the sudden vagueness was strange and unwelcome, especially at that moment. Chalking it up to her mother's discomfort about letting males sleep in her house, with her daughter, she turned to the cutting board and began slicing the squash, letting Ayumi toss them lightly in the oil mixture her mother had prepared.

When they finished, Kagome called out to the males, all of which walked in, Souta following Kouga. Kagome could almost see the stars in his eyes, and for a moment she relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. Her brother had obviously latched onto Kouga as a new male role model, and Kouga hadn't gotten too frustrated with him, or if he had, he was hiding it well.

Until Souta spotted Kouga's tail. Kagome saw him reaching forward, saw Ginta and Hakkaku opening their mouths to give warning, but it was too late, her warning turning into a shocked gasp when Souta grabbed it and Kouga stepped forward, pulling the appendage taught.

"Goddamnit!" Kouga shouted, shoulders hunching and hands clenching into fists at his sides. Souta blushed hotly, immediately dropping the tail and stepping back, stumbling into Ginta and Hakkaku, who helped right him.

"Shi-Sorry!" Kouga hastily uttered, looking straight at Kagome's mother, who was staring at him with open mouthed shock. "I'm really sorry, just, umm, reflex," He finished lamely.

His tail had disappeared completely.

"I understand," Nodoka said, voice soft but expression tight. "But please try to watch your language."

Kagome imagined, for a moment, falling face first into the hotplate and diverting everyone's attention away from Kouga's slip.

"Dinner," She finally squeaked, putting the plate of chopped and sliced vegetables on the table.

Kagome could not remember a more quiet dinner in her house. Not even when she'd been studying for finals could she remember it being so quiet. It was almost loud, in a sense, ringing in her ears and making her want to scream, to dance, anything to fill it with something besides the incessant ringing.

"Kagome told me you two met in Hokkaido," Nodoka started.

"Actually, I saw her in Tokyo first," Kouga admitted quietly, voice respectful and bland. "I recognized her too late, and I missed her. I saw her again and she didn't recognize me, so I left. In Hokkaido is when I got the courage to talk to her."

"You talked to me the second time," She reminded him. "I was just being obtuse and not seeing you."

"I probably should have told you my name or something," He chuckled lightly.

"Oh?" Nodoka asked, curiosity obviously piqued.

"I was buying stuff for Ayumi's party and ran short on money. He happened to be in the store at the time, and helped pay for it," Kagome said quickly, not wanting to bring up the subject of condoms after asking if Kouga could stay. With the way things were progressing, she had little doubt her mother was beginning to regret her agreement.

"That's nice," Nodoka nodded before taking a bite of beef. "And you didn't recognize him?"

"I don't normally go in public like this," Kouga explained. I do little things to hide my identity. I offered her a ride home and she said she didn't take rides from strangers. I admit I was being stupid and not thinking, so I left without explaining."

"At least we saw eachother in Hokkaido though," Kagome murmured, offering a small smile. "It made the vacation a lot more fun."

"What did you do?" Nodoka asked. Kagome gave Kouga a warning glance, hoping he would interpret it correctly.

"Mostly went to the beach. I have a friend that lives there and he let us camp out on his land, he has a private lake. Nothing too exciting," Kouga said.

"And you three are all a pack?" Nodoka asked, listening intently.

"We are," Ginta said, not without a hint of pride.

"Kouga is the best leader the packs had seen in a long time, and the youngest," Hakkaku added.

"There are more of you?"

"Most have moved further apart with their own families," Kouga told her, skirting over the truth. "The guys and I started a business together."

"Like you could get rid of us," Ginta laughed.

"He tried a couple of times, foisting us off on women and such," Hakkaku chortled.

"Never gave him the satisfaction."

"Or the peace."

"Or my sanity," Kouga sighed, looking highly uncomfortable.

"You stuck with us when it mattered most, and did your best for the pack. We're not going anywhere any time soon," Ginta told him flatly.

Kagome saw her staring at Kouga, gaze assessing. It was a curious gaze, one with an underlying worry that Kagome couldn't pinpoint, and in a startling moment of clarity, realized she didn't want to. Her relationship with Kouga still felt too new to handle nay saying, and she worried that was what her mother would do, given a chance and some time alone between them.

"You sound like you're doing very well," Nodoka finally said.

"I like to think so," Kouga said, meeting her mother's gaze evenly. Nodoka only nodded and went back to eating. Kagome shifted uncomfortably next to Kouga and, desperate to break the silence that had descended again, turned to her grandfather.

"What do you know about otoroshi?" She asked, knowing she would regret it within five minutes but needing to break the tension. Hopefully her grandfather's antics would help.

"They hang from shrine gates and devour the impious," He said simply. "At a shrine of the faithful, they've been known to breed. Our shrine has one."

Kagome tried not to make a disbelieving sound. According to three super sensitive youkai noses, they had four. Not one. But she continued listening, hoping for something that would make some sense. But with each tidbit her grandfather tried to pass off as fact, the story grew beyond the bounds of believable, even taking her current situation into mind.

"What about ones that have lost their shrine?" Kagome asked quietly, when he was pausing to take a breath.

"I assume they die. Otoroshi are guardians. Without a place to guard, they either die or move on to some place new, I suppose."

Which didn't help at all. Sighing softly, she helped her mother and Ayumi gather the dishes and take them into the kitchen, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. Kagome wanted to ask her mother's opinion of Kouga, but wasn't willing to risk Kouga hearing a possibly negative answer. Not yet at least. She hoped that with some time her mother would warm up to him more. Whatever rough charm Inu Yasha had possessed, her mother seemed to have grown immune to it, and that left Kagome feeling slightly adrift.

"Maybe there are some scrolls in the storehouse," She sighed, putting the last dish into the dishwasher and closing it. "Is it alright if we go and look?" Kagome asked, looking to her mother.

"That's fine dear. I'll get Souta to help bringing the futon down. Did they need anything to sleep in?"

"I didn't even think of that," Kagome groaned. "Ayumi, you can borrow some of my clothes, but I don't think anything we have will fit the guys."

"One of them can go grab their stuff," Ayumi offered, obviously picking up on the underlying tension and speaking softly, as if afraid to provoke it.

"Probably. Are you sure you don't need help mom?"

"Souta and I can get it. You go look through the scrolls."

"Thank you," Kagome murmured, making a swift exit. Hakkaku was already at the door, shrugging on his boots when Kagome walked into the hall.

"Heard you loud and clear. I'll be back soon," He promised, waving before slipping out the door. Kagome noticed that he had changed to a human, half expecting his tail to get caught but seeing nothing there.

Walking into the living room, she saw Kouga and Ginta both sitting on the couch, leaning forward with their elbows braced on their knees and hands bracing their chins. Their poses mirrored one another's so perfectly that Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

"You guys want to help us out? We're going to look through storage to see if there;s anything there."

"Sounds good, Kouga said, although his voice was flat, emotionless. Kagome sighed softly, going forward and tugging at his hand. He looked up at her, eyes filled with genuine worry that made her sigh again.

"Come on, let's go hunt through dust and cobwebs."

"Sounds exciting," He mumbled, although he tried to smile this time as he followed her out. Ayumi and Ginta followed them outside, but when Kagome walked into the small storehouse, they both veered off to walk around the side, giving at least the illusion of privacy as she and Kouga walked in and she pulled the chain for the light, flooding the room in a sickly yellow glow.

"Your mother hates me," He groaned.

"Mom doesn't hate you," She promised softly. "She just doesn't know what to make of you, I think."

"She hates me," He retorted flatly.

"She doesn't. You;re just not what she expected."

"What was she expecting?" He asked, running a hand through his hair and mussing his ponytail.

"Probably something more feudal," Kagome tried. "The last youkai she saw was Inu Yasha, in fire rat robes and with his sword at his side. Not in riding pants and as a mechanic."

"I couldn't exactly keep the loincloth," He muttered, staring at the ceiling. Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist, staring up at him as she squeezed his middle gently. His arms wrapped around her and he leaned down, touching his nose to hers.

"Probably not. Although I wouldn't mind seeing you in one if the mood strikes," She joked, hoping to lighten his mood.

"Fresh out, although I might be able to talk Taki into making something."

"A biking leather cod piece?" Kagome asked impishly, earning a derisive snort. She had no trouble missing the choking laughter erupting from the back of the storehouse, through the wall. Ayumi's giggles joined it a second later.

"She might for shits and giggles. Bet I could get her to make ones to match the armor."

"No!" A voice shouted, and two seconds later Ginta was looking into the storehouse, eyes wide in horror. "You _know_ her, she'd make us model them and get pictures somehow!"

"I could even the deal," Kagome offered. "Ask her to make matching bikinis for Ayumi and I."

"I'm pretty sure if I saw you in something like that I'd die laughing before ever finding it sexy,: Kouga snorted.

"That's the point," She giggled. Ayumi walked in, hand covering her mouth as she tried to smother her own laughter and failed. Kagome gave her a sly smile. "So Ayumi, think you're up to an armor bikini? I bet Taki would make them for us if we promised to pose. Not to mention it would get the guys into the-"

"No way. Nothing doing," Ginta muttered, flushing brightly.

"I might," Ayumi giggled. "If the guys held up their end."

"What end? I'm not agreeing to anything," Ginta said, voice cracking in his panic. "Kouga, do not mention this to Taki. You know what will happen!"

"She wouldn't really do it, would she?" Kagome asked, looking back up to Kouga, who had begun smiling.

"She would," He chuckled. "Taki's got a screwed sense of humor."

"I'll make sure to mention it then," Kagome promised, giggling when Kouga growled and leaned down to kiss her lightly.

The camera flashed again, but neither of them moved apart, ignoring the other two as they nuzzled one another.

"Want to try and find that scroll?" He finally asked.

"Well, since we have an audience and the idea of sending dust flying isn't appealing," She sighed dramatically.

"I can see it now, sneezing with every-"

"You won't finish that unless you want me to tell Kouga what you told me," Ayumi warned. Ginta immediately quieted, casting a wary glance in Ayumi's direction.

"What did you tell her?" Kouga rumbled, looking the slightest bit annoyed as Kagome pulled away and walked over to one of the walls holding the thin boxes used to protect the scrolls from dust and damp.

"Nothing," Ginta supplied quickly.

"I bet," Kouga rumbled, but let it go, walking over to stand next to Kagome. "These each have a scroll?"

"Sometimes two or three," Kagome sighed. "There wasn't enough storage space, so sacrifices were made. Grandpa's system is completely beyond me. I don't even know where to start, I haven't been out here in years."

"I guess we just pick a corner and work our way out," Kouga sighed, staring at the wall and looking more than slightly intimidated by the number of slim boxes awaiting them, then at the second wall.

"We'll start here," Kouga said, pointing to the right corner of the storehouse, where he and Kagome stood. "And you guys start there," He said, pointing to the opposite corner of the other wall of slim boxes. "And hopefully we won't have to meet in the middle."

The storehouse fell into silence after that, the only noise that of the small boxes opening and scrolls rustling as they were rolled open. Most Kagome was able to glance over, skimming through the older print in search of anything related to the otoroshi or shrines, even miko and youkai in general. A great many of the ones she looked through were poems based on different battles fought against human and youkai foes alike, but none of them touched on anything to do with otoroshi.

Scroll after scroll, box after box. Kagome didn't know how much time passed, not paying attention to the open door or the sky outside of it as it began to grow darker, the yellow light seeming to glow all the brighter for the darkness. The other were just as intent, scanning the scrolls they unrolled before putting them back and quickly moving to another.

It wasn't until Hakkaku came back and offered a quiet hello that she even looked up from another dusty text, determined not to sneeze and send dust flying everywhere, knowing it would only start a sneezing fit involving everyone and sending more dust flying.

"Still nothing?" Hakkaku asked quietly.

"No," Kagome sighed. The others echoed her sentiment quietly, but continued reading. Hakkaku joined the others, sitting down and working from a low shelf, easily falling into the silence. Kagome continued devouring texts, some so smudged with time she had to squint to make out the characters before realizing it wasn't what she wanted.

She and Kouga had made it halfway across the wall when Souta walked in, eyes wide.

"Mom sent me out here. It's almost midnight," Souta said in a quiet voice, blushing when he caught Kouga's gaze.

"About earlier, sorry I snapped," Kouga started.

"No, I shouldn't have grabbed your tail. But Inu Yasha was cool with us touching his ears. I didn't mean to hurt you," Souta stuttered, eyes on the floor.

"It's fine. Kagome warned me, I should have listened," He chuckled. Souta seemed to relax, leaning against the door jam, forehead creased in thought.

"You're going to protect Kagome, right?" He finally asked.

"We all will," Kouga told him confidently.

"But you especially, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Don't hurt her," Souta warned before turning on his heel and walking away quickly, as if, once the warning had been said, he had lost the courage to add anything else. But the gesture still touched Kagome, who smiled softly at her brother's retreating form before he disappeared around the corner of the temple.

"That's probably one of the sweetest things he's ever done," Kagome giggled.

"He's a good brother," Kouga observed quietly. "But we should probably call it a night, give this fresh eyes in the morning. Pull out the next row of boxes to read so you don't lose your place," He told them. Everyone shifted boxes slightly and left several sticking out, marking their places.

"We need showers. The dust in here smells bad," Ginta groaned as he stood and stretched.

"Musty," Hakkaku agreed, running a hand through his hair and then stopping to check it, realizing too late that he'd gotten dust woven through his hair. Ayumi shrugged and walked ahead of them, leading them back to the house. Kagome reached up and pulled the chain to turn the light off, blinking in the sudden darkness.

"I hope we find something," She sighed as they walked out, closing the door behind her and taking Kouga's hand as he helped her step off of the porch. "What will you do about the order?"

"I want to set the whole thing on fire," He sighed, pulling her close as they walked to the house, taking their time and moving slowly. "The guy saw a ducati and had to copy it, but instead of some chrome and black, he wants the whole thing to be chrome. It's awful. Like a giant ugly metal penis to cruise down the road on."

Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the image as he continued.

"I can't imagine anyone would be able to ride it once the sun hit it, and kami, other drivers, they'd be blinded. It wouldn't be so bad if he would tone it down, but everything that can be chromed, he wants chromed. I want to kill whoever made the bike that inspired it. A bunch of flashy trash."

"But he's a customer."

"And that's the only reason I haven't crashed the damn thing," He groaned. "I told him today it would be at least a few days since we had to take the whole thing apart. I'll make up some bullshit about something of mine breaking and offering to give him a discount or something."

"I'm sorry about this," Kagome sighed, wishing she hadn't suggested Shibuya, that she'd just asked to take a bus to his work or met him somewhere else, like a nice park.

"It's not like you did it on your own," Kouga snorted. "But I'm sorry too. This wasn't how I pictured spending today."

"At least you won't have to sneak in my window," She pointed out, earning a light laugh as they walked inside and closed the door. Kagome locked it, feeling strangely paranoid as she did so, and followed Kouga to the living room.

"We only have one shower," She apologized. "So it might take awhile. "You guys go first, since your noses-"

"Ladies first," Kouga told her, tone leaving no room for argument. "Worst comes to worst, we can use the hose," He added with a fanged grin.

"Only if I can watch," Kagome shot out before turning and walking for the stairs. Ayumi followed her quickly, walking with her into her bedroom.

"You first?" Kagome asked. Ayumi nodded quickly, accepting the simple cotton pajama bottoms and tshirt.

"Thank you, for letting me stay today," Ayumi said, voice so quiet Kagome barely caught it.

"Thank you for staying. It's nice to have a friend that knows," Kagome admitted quietly. "I didn't realize it until you did it, I was so used to keeping it all to myself. Thank you for not freaking out."

"Is it always like this?" Ayumi asked, voice a little louder than before, but still barely above a whisper.

"Dusty scrolls and youkai enemies?" Kagome asked, giggling when Ayumi nodded slowly. "I hope not. I like the peace. Having an enemy again just, it's frustrating. I wanted to introduce Kouga to mom under better circumstances, and I want us to be able to hang out, have fun. Not worry about something coming after us."

"Same here. It's exciting, knowing ookami and being a part of their pack," Ayumi admitted, blushing lightly when she said the latter. "But enemies and hunting through old scrolls for hours, not as fun."

"Yeah. Well, go shower. We need to sleep sometime, and we've got an early day ahead of us."

Ayumi nodded, making an affirmative noise when Kagome pointed at the linen closet for towels. Closing the door after her friend had disappeared into the bathroom, she went to hunt for the most prosaic, least sexy pajamas she owned, going so far as to consider the cow pajamas her mother had gotten her for Christmas, but immediately disregarding them because they were flannel, and would be stifling even if the air conditioning was blasting.

Which left her with her favorite pair of purple pants and a shirt or shorts, which would be preferable knowing she was going to be sleeping next to Kouga, but she knew her mother wouldn't look favorably on them if she happened to see them.

Sighing, she threw her purple pants on the bed and looked for a baggy shirt, pulling one of the ones Kouga had loaned her from her bag and throwing it over it. Which left her with plenty of time to pace her room, trying to figure out if her mother was simply tolerating Kouga, or if it was truly just a case of being surprised and a little put off by the coarse language he'd exhibited.

Groaning, she resisted the urge to fall onto her bed, knowing she would send the dust on her clothes all over her blankets. Growling softly to herself, she ran a hand through her hair impatiently and wished again that things had turned out differently. Her books were still at Ayumi's, so she didn't even have those to distract her, but her helmet was still in her bag on the bed, and she walked over to it, pulling it out of the bag and staring at it.

For a moment she saw her reflection glinting off of the shiny surface and saw herself distorted. Wondering what her mother would say if she saw it, she firmly resolved to keep her motorcycle lessons from her mother until it became necessary to tell her. She had enough to purchase insurance until she found a job when school started, and to pay Taki for new gear, should she need it.

Ayumi knocked quietly on her door, poking her head in and announcing she was finished. Kagome nodded, leaving her pajamas on the bed and grabbing a towel from the linen closet. Her shower was warm,but she couldn't help but wish for Kouga to be in there with her, despite the possible consequences. Knowing it would only make things worse, she kept from using her aura to call to him as she had earlier in the day and quickly bathed, making sure to thoroughly wash her hair twice before conditioning it and scrubbing her skin until it was pink.

Quickly drying her hair, she wrapped the towel around her middle and scrambled across the hall, calling out a hasty done before closing her door. Deciding not to tempt fate, she dressed quickly and finished towel drying her hair before tossing the towel over the back of her desk chair and gathering her blankets in a large bundle and carrying them downstairs, taking care not to trip.

Ayumi was already on the futons, stretched across the two mattresses and hugging a pillow. Ginta was explaining something to both her and Souta, who was sitting on the loveseat, knees pulled to his chest and listening with wide eyed awe. Kagome realized after a moment that Ginta and Hakkaku were taking turns telling the story of the Goraishi as they had seen it, and how Kouga had given up the weapon to save them, and earned the weapon itself for his willingness to put pack first.

She and Ayumi began arranging the extra blankets, listening as the two ookami talked about the three headed guardian and the ancestor's speaking to them. What had been only bits and pieces before became a whole story, and Kagome wondered, if she had heard the story then, what she would have felt about it. At the time she had only been aware of a change in Kouga, but mostly concerning the jewel shards in his legs. In retrospect, she wondered if there hadn't been a shift in his demeanor as well.

"Stop telling fairy tales," Kouga grumbled form the doorway as he walked in, damp hair hanging in rings around his face and shoulders. He was wearing his normal boxers but with the addition of a shirt, making Kagome breathe a little easier.

"Have you got a bag for these, I don't want to send dust flying through your mom's house," He explained quietly. Kagome nodded, quickly running to the kitchen and grabbing trash bags, knowing the armored pants would never fit in a smaller bag. She handed one to Hakkaku, who was heading up the stairs, pajamas in hand.

"Thanks," He murmured quietly. Kagome nodded, walking back to the living room when he said her name quietly.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, going back to the stairs and leaning against the railing, looking up at him.

"It is. I just wanted to say thanks. I heard Kouga offer you an out. Thanks for not taking it."

"I wouldn't," Kagome snipped, somewhat offended that he was thanking her for not doing it, as if he had expected her too. "Kouga-"

"Has had a lot of people leave him. It probably cost him a lot to do that. I'm glad you didn't take him up on it."

It was sincere, heartfelt gratitude, and Kagome nodded, unsure of what to say in the face of the ookami's conviction. Hakkaku nodded once, walking back up the stairs and leaving her alone.

"I heard that," Kouga said, just loudly enough for her to hear.

"I know boss," Hakkaku said, although much more quietly. Kagome chuckled lightly at their antics and walked back to the living room, surprised to see Kouga blushing. Walking over to him and sitting down next to him on the futon, she offered him a smile, one she hoped conveyed the depth of her own gratitude.

"You guys are about to be sappy, aren't you?" Souta asked, making gagging sounds.

"Not now," Kagome laughed. "I'll spare you. This time."

"Good. I don't want to see you making kissing faces at eachother, it's gross."

"Give it a few years," Kouga laughed, leaning back on both hands. Kagome leaned against him, smirking at her brother.

"Souta's already had at least two girlfriends," She informed everyone, launching into the story about her younger brother's first crush, much to the teenager's dismay. By the time Hakkaku came downstairs and Ginta walked out, Ayumi was hugging a pillow and laughing into it as Kagome told them about her brother buying flowers and chocolates for the other girl.

When Ginta came back, Souta was glowing, rebutting every other statement Kagome made, only earning laughter in response. But what shocked Kagome was that Kouga offered his own tips, based off of things he had learned not to do, a great many of them bringing personal memories of their past to mind. Souta seemed somewhat mollified by these pointers, never once asking if they applied to her, and she was grateful. She wasn't sure she could deal with her brother knowing Kouga had claimed her as his woman and kidnapped her, along with calling Inu Yasha every awful name in the book.

"Alright, time for bed," Kouga announced. "You're not allowed to growl at me when I wake you up early."

"I don't growl," Kagome muttered flushing hotly.

"Says you," Kouga snorted as Souta bid them all goodnight. Kagome muttered something uncomplimentary under her breath, but pulled a blanket over herself and didn't protest when Ayumi lay next to her.

It would have been a normal sleepover, except for the fact that instead of Eri and Yuka, there were three youkai. And instead of them cuddling pillows and passing out to the sound of a movie, Kagome could feel Kouga's arm go over her waist and his chest at her back.

"Go to sleep," Kouga commanded gruffly.

"You too," Hakkaku said as Ayumi yawned. Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend and giggled lightly.

"Goodnight everyone," Ayumi said in a quiet voice.

"Goodnight," Kagome answered, snuggling closer into Kouga's form. A chorus of goodnights followed. Kagome yawned once and exhaled deeply, eyes drifting shut as she soaked up Kouga's warmth.

And then she was asleep, content that, no matter what else was happening, he was there, and so were her friends.

* * *

 

When she felt someone shaking her lightly, she grumbled something under her breath and buried her face deeper in the warmth surrounding her, intent on sleeping. But the shaking grew more insistent, and with bleary eyes she looked up at Kouga, who was giving her an amused smile, rolling his eyes.

"No growling, remember?" He asked.

"What time is it?" She groaned as he got up and tugged at her hand.

"That time. Come on."

She allowed herself to be pulled from the warm futon, limping because at some point in the night her foot had gotten pinned beneath Ayumi's leg. Looking back at the tangle of blankets, she realized she couldn't honestly tell who had slept where anymore, limbs peeking from the edges, heads buried beneath the covers.

"It really is a pile," She observed as Kouga unlocked the door and led her outside into the darkness.

"Told you," He snorted.

"And you guys did that with more people?"

"Yup," He answered absentmindedly, scanning the shrine before nodding. Kagome didn't protest when he picked her up, not even asking before he was launching himself into the air, landing on the roof of the house with a noticeable thump. She prayed they weren't over her mother's room.

Kouga sat and let her shift until she was comfortable in his lap, eyes fastened on the skyline. Trees and buildings rose higher, making it seem like the sunrise was slower in coming as they waited. But little by little rays began to peak over the horizon, the sky turning myriad colors. It wasn't the sunrise on the ferry, but it was still a sunrise, and given the circumstances Kagome couldn't help but savor it.

Even Kouga was relaxing, as if the day before still hadn't occurred to him, hadn't happened as he held her, keeping her warm in the chill of dawn. Kagome breathed a soft sigh, looking up at him and nipping his chin lightly. When he smiled down at her, she felt her heart trip and skip a beat, stumbling almost painfully before he was kissing her, making her forget the sharp pain completely.

"Now that you're alone," A voice said, breaking them apart abruptly. They both looked around, eyes wide as they searched for the owner of the voice. A moment later Kagome felt a spark of...Something. It reminded her of youki, but it wasn't. The owner began to materialize, sitting near them on the roof.

A female youkai, her long dark hair floating around her white clothing and pale face. Dark eyes stared at her and Kouga without any hint of feeling, instead seeming like pools of black in her otherwise white face.

"You're an otoroshi?" Kagome asked, eyes wide as she felt Kouga's arms tightening around her.

"I am the guardian of your home," The youkai said, nodding lightly. Her voice was soft even after she had solidified, as if she had left most of it behind somewhere. "Don't worry. I have no desire to harm you."

"But one of you does," Kouga growled.

"Not any that guard this shrine, ookami. But I do not discount that others do not see as we do."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, staring at the beautiful female. She looked more like a ghost than most of the spirits she had seen, and there was something inviting about her, like an old friend she had forgotten.

"We have seen love between youkai and miko before, and observed how the world reviled it. But how could something as sacred as love ever be blasphemous?" The otoroshi asked, smiling softly. "Perhaps it is because of the people we have guarded that all love is a gift, no matter the partners."

"I-" Kagome started, blushing hotly at the otoroshi's words. The word love had not come up in her relationship to Kouga, had not even been something she had thought of. If anything, it seemed too soon, too much to think about.

"In time," The spirit laughed, a surprisingly human, throaty sound given her earlier tone. "All things in time."

"But what about the other one?" Kagome asked, needing to change the subject before she burst into flames in Kouga's arms. She was, in that moment, grateful they weren't able to see each other's faces, because she was sure they'd both die from embarrassment.

"If one of my brethren has been displaced, he will find a new home or fade. It will not take long."

"Define long," Kouga demanded.

"Weeks, if that. Without purpose, we easily become wind. It is the order of things."

"What if he's using Kagome as a purpose?" Kouga asked. "Could that keep him here longer?"

"Perhaps, although it is a self destructive purpose. We cannot devour those blessed, as she has been."

"Blessed?"

"You have gifts that have aided you before."

"But I don't do anything like that anymore," Kagome mumbled, hoping that she wouldn't have to adopt the life of a miko to hold the thing off, whatever it was.

"Your gifts are to do with as you will. Just because you don't use them does not make them any less. You are safe. Should an otoroshi try to devour you, they will be unable to, instead destroying themselves."

"What about Kouga?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, he'll be safe enough," The spirit laughed. "His own spirits guard him well, and gifted him his own gift to protect himself. It lays beneath the skin, ready should he need it. My kind are weak in comparison."

"So you're saying I don't have to worry?" Kagome asked, relaxing.

"You do not have to worry."

"Why should we believe you?" Kouga asked, still tense and holding her protectively.

"Because we have guarded this shrine and this family for centuries. Names change, blood is diluted, but it remains true. We love the people here as much as we love the shrine itself. And we respect the divinity of love. It is a rare thing, and not to be ignored or cast aside lightly."

"Thank you," Kagome murmured. "This helps, a lot."

"You both care very much for one another. In time, who knows how great your love could be. I watched you ache for the hanyou. I would see you given another chance to find your happiness."

Kagome didn't know what to say to that, to a spirit that seemed to have so much vested in her happiness when she didn't even know her, had never even considered her existence before.

"Thank you," She said again, smiling softly as the spirit nodded and began to fade into a dim outline of herself before disappearing completely.

"That was-" Kouga trailed off.

"Unexpected," Kagome agreed. "But not unwelcome."

"Explains a lot," He chuckled.

"Like what?" Kagome asked, brows knitting together at his sudden amusement. After what they had just experienced, she felt like curling into a ball and thanking the kami she didn't have to worry anymore. But laughter, that seemed entirely out of place with the experience itself.

"Maybe it's the spirits here," He told her, squeezing her gently. "Maybe they rubbed off on you, and that's why you seem to find us."

"Maybe," Kagome murmurred, doubting it. "Either way, this means I'm safe, and we don't have to stay glued at the hip."

"Too bad, I was kind of looking forward to it," He joked, laughter rumbling in his chest still.

"Including having to eat dinner with my family every night?" She asked archly, giggling when his laughter stopped abruptly.

"Alright, you win," He sighed. "This means I have to go finish that chrome nightmare, doesn't it?"

"If you want to get paid," She reminded him.

"Breakfast first?" He tried.

"Out. Let's eat out," She told him, laughing as he got up, bouncing her in his arms before jumping to the ground and setting her on her feet.

When they walked in Ginta and Hakkaku poked their heads from under the covers, blinking sleep from their eyes.

"Everything alright?"

"One of the otoroshi spoke to us," Kagome told them softly.

"And?" Hakkaku asked, sitting up quickly. Ayumi groaned beneath the blankets and rolled, pushing them back and looking up at everyone.

"You all wake up too early," She yawned, stretching and pushing herself up. "Did something happen?"

"I'm safe from otoroshi because of my powers," Kagome told them softly. "And Kouga is safe since he has the Goraishi."

"Guess that means no more sleepovers," Hakkaku sighed dramatically. "At least I got pictures."

"You got pictures?" Kagome asked flatly, eyes narrowing.

"I did," Hakkaku laughed.

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When in doubt, use full throttle. It may not improve the situation, but it will end the suspense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
> 
> AN: Okay, first off, this is the uncensored version. The non lemony content can be found at FFNet under the same penname. Now, secondly.
> 
> Oh, hey, look, I'm not dead. Wow. I actually have chapters to post for the next few weeks too. Double wow. I'm pretty sure this is a summery story, and I know it's taken forever to get to this point. Here's to getting it done this summer. And to your patience and reviews.

She and Ayumi stared at the formidable looking gray building that stood out from it's surroundings like a sore thumb. Perfectly manicured grass and trees surrounded it, only partially blocking the view of a large parking lot littered with bright orange cones. It was currently empty. Kagome wondered if they did any sort of tests there.

"Now or never," Ayumi breathed, voice pitched in her nervousness. Kagome took her hand and walked into the building with her, heart slamming in her chest. She was grateful the youkai had gone back to the garage, back to work to finish the chrome monstrosity they'd complained about all through breakfast, coming up with a hundred analogies, almost all of them inappropriate and slighting the future owners masculinity.

But that good cheer faded as they stepped into the air conditioned building and saw what was easily three dozen people sitting in chairs, reading books or watching the red numbers on the signs overhead change, clutching slips of paper in hand like lifelines.

"This might take longer than I thought," Kagome groaned.

They both walked up to the counter to retrieve a number. The attendant looked bored, her hair in a messy bun and eyes blank.

"What are you here for?" She asked.

"We're both here to take the cyclist's permit test."

"Go over there to the computer stations, input your information and if you pass we'll confirm identity and take your picture."

Surprised, she and Ayumi walked over to the stations and sat down in different cubicles. Kagome wouldn't deny bypassing the line was a bonus she hadn't expected, typing in her name and address, as well as her birth date and other various information.

The test itself was no harder than the practice tests she and Ayumi had taken, especially given her experience, however little it was. The only one that she didn't know, but felt more like common sense, was the last question, asking when to use the kill switch for the engine. Quickly hitting the only answer that made sense to her, she waited patiently for the computer to load her results.

As she had expected, a perfect score. Looking at the clock, she realized it had only taken her ten minutes to answer fifteen questions, and wondered if the test really wasn't too easy. Looking over when she heard a chair scraping against the floor, she looked at Ayumi, who was smiling.

They walked back over to the desk, waiting in line behind two people to speak to the woman again. Kagome overheard a man protesting a ticket, which the woman said could only be done in court. Blinking, wondering why someone would go to the DMV to protest a ticket, she watched the man get more and more frustrated before walking off. He reeked of the sickly smell of alcohol.

The next person was fairly quick, muttering about having her license reinstated. The woman referred her to the computers.

"We both passed," Kagome said, her voice almost giddy despite how easy it had been.

"I need your documentation."

Kagome opened her book bag and pulled out a folder holding her birth certificate, social security card and her highschool id card. The woman took them, typed into a computer for a moment and then handed the items back and pointed at a wall that had been put it. Kagome walked over to it, noticing the camera set onto another desk.

"Please put your toes on the tape," Someone said, walking past her and behind the desk. Kagome looked down and positioned herself, looking back up to the camera and fighting a smile. Despite her best efforts it emerged as the camera flashed, and the attendant worked with a machine next to it, waiting patiently.

"Please sign this," He told her, still sounding apathetic as she walked forward and signed the touch pad with a flourish. Ayumi watched, smiling widely as Kagome waited.

A moment later the card was in her hand, the stiff, heavy plastic still warm to the touch as she stared down at it. Despite the fact that she looked like she'd just eaten a bag of candy, chugged soda and been shaken well, her smile was so big in the picture, so undeniably goofy it looked stupid, she couldn't help but bounce excitedly.

Her permit.

Her motorcycle.

Riding.

She watched Ayumi go through the same procedure, a similar smile on her lips as she had her picture taken and a giggle escaping when she walked forward to sign her name. When the card came out they both waved and almost ran out, a bounce in their step as they escaped the building into the warm humidity of Tokyo, almost running into someone about to come in.

"Sorry!" Kagome called out breathlessly before looking down at the card again.

"I can't believe it!" Ayumi said, smiling so widely her teeth showed.

"I can! The test was so easy!"

"I missed the last question," Ayumi admitted. "What did you put?"

"When the throttle is stuck and you can't free it," Kagome told her.

"I put when you start to lose control," Ayumi said shyly, coloring.

"Now you know," Kagome giggled. "I just picked the one that seemed right to me, since the book didn't talk about kill switches, at least not that I've read yet."

"We have permits to ride motorcycles," Ayumi said as they walked, almost skipped to the bus station. "I can't wait to tell the pack!"

Kagome noticed her friend said pack and not guys, and it was a subtle distinction, one that made her smile as she opened her wallet and stuck her permit in, almost hesitantly. It still wasn't quite real, and when she closed the wallet she had to resist the urge to check it.

"When I get a bike I'll have to stop carrying a purse and use a wallet too," Ayumi observed. "That'll take some getting used too."

"You'll be fine," Kagome laughed as they waited for the bus.

"Did you still want to go to that place?"

The question put an immediate damper on Kagome's spirit, sobering the high her permit had given her.

"I need to. After yesterday, I can't very well ask mom to make an appointment, she'd hit the roof."

Ayumi nodded, looking slightly perturbed.

"I can go alone," Kagome told her, not wanting to, but not wanting to subject Ayumi to that place either. Ayumi shook her head vehemently.

"Friends stick together."

Kagome would never admit how much that helped to calm the knot of anxiety in her stomach. It didn't completely banish it, but it eased it somewhat, making it easier to get on the bus when it came and find a seat and keeping her from jumping off when she saw that they were getting close. She had chosen one that was close to the DMV for a reason, wanting to get it over with quickly. But even in that short span of time her worry and nervousness multiplied easily, again and again until she was sure she was going to be sick.

When they stepped off, Kagome looked at the street signs, almost tempted to go in a different direction until Ayumi took her hand. Kagome could feel the sweat on her palms, but Ayumi didn't pull away, only followed as Kagome walked past other people for four blocks before turning onto the correct street.

The building itself was unassuming, and not nearly so dreary looking as the DMV building had been, but Kagome had looked forward to going into the DMV. She did not look forward to walking into this one.

"Come on, you said you had an appointment, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Kagome mumbled, following her friend inside. Once she walked in and the door closed behind her, she realized it didn't look any different than a normal doctor's office, although the sofa and comfy chairs from her own doctor's practice were missing, replaced with several hard plastic chairs sitting edge to edge with only a single low table covered in pamphlets and magazines.

Ayumi tugged at her hand again, leading her over to the desk.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The secretary asked, smiling softly at Kagome. She was as unlike the other woman Kagome had spoken to, the one at the DMV, as anyone could be. Her hair was short cropped, just short of shaggy, and a small stud glinted in her nose. But her clothing was professional, and Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly comforted by her understanding smile.

"Higurashi, I made an appointment," Kagome answered quietly.

The woman clicked at her computer, nodding once.

"The physical and medication request? And you filled out the questionnaire electronically this morning?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, thankful the woman hadn't made any oblique references.

"Do you have your records?"

Kagome nodded once, shrugging her shoulder to indicate her backpack. It had taken her all morning to catch her mother out of the house so she could go through the filing cabinet that had her medical records.

"I'll need them to give to the doctor. You're early, but we don't have any patients scheduled for another hour, so she should be with you soon."

Kagome shrugged her bag off and went through it, handing the secretary the folder, hand shaking.

"First time?" The woman asked. Kagome wished she had a name tag, woman seemed so disrespectful, considering the amount of genuine sympathy in her tone. She nodded once, tightly to answer.

"Don't worry, Dr. Hina is a wonderful physician. There are some pamphlets on the table to help you learn more about what kinds of medication there are, if you haven't done any research into it. If there are any that stand out as something you're curious about, you can take them back with you."

"Umm, they mentioned payment," Kagome murmured.

"That's done at the end. If you need, we can set up a payment system if you have identification with you."

Kagome nodded, almost saying she had just gotten hers that morning, but it felt like over sharing. The secretary nodded and gave her another encouraging smile before walking over to the door and walking through. Kagome could see a plain hallway, devoid of anything but painted walls and carpet, for a brief moment before the door closed.

"Come on, let's look through some of the pamphlets," Ayumi told her. Kagome nodded, walking on wooden legs over to the chairs sitting closest to the table and sat, looking at the array of folded, glossy advertisements.

"Kagome, you're not committing a sin by looking," Ayumi told her firmly. "You're being responsible."

"My mother would kill me if she found out."

"Kagome, if your mom finds out, I'm sure she'll be grateful that you're taking precautions. And it's not her life. Or her vagina," Ayumi added testily, making Kagome choke on her breath for a moment before she turned to look at her friend, who had a stern expression, one that brooked no argument.

"I don't even know where to start."

"Here's one on the pill. I know Yuka and Eri use it, I've seen them taking theirs before."

Kagome accepted the pamphlet, quickly scanning the scant amount of information provided. Most of it was medical warnings about who shouldn't take it (she met none of the criteria) and who should (which she did meet the criteria for). There was also a chart of effectiveness, and the results from tests looked promising.

Ayumi was going through others, blushing lightly as she read through them. Kagome continued reading through them, putting two more on the stack with the one for the pill after looking at diagrams for others and discarding them. Most of them required she insert them before sex, and she knew that if Kouga was in the mindset he had been in before, they would be useless. He simply wouldn't give her time to put them in or do whatever else she had to do.

"This one looks good," Ayumi commented as she leaned over to show Kagome the leaflet. "It says it's more effective than even the pill, and you only have to get it once every three years."

"I'll definitely ask about this one," She said, scanning the diagrams. While she didn't look forward to having something inserted under her skin, it was a far cry better than potentially missing a pill.

They both looked through the rest of the pamphlets, surprised when the door opened and Kagome's name was called.

"Do you need someone to go with you?" Ayumi asked quietly.

"I'll be fine," Kagome said, although she wanted to ask her friend to come back. She knew the basics of what was about to happen, and she wouldn't subject Ayumi to that. Nodding and walking back, leaving her bag with Ayumi, she clutched the pamphlets to her chest and followed the doctor into a plain room with the medical bed she was used to seeing. Automatically hopping up onto it, she looked at the doctor, who was reading over her files.

"Hello Kagome, I'm Doctor Hina. Michiru tells me you're here for your first exam and for birth control," The woman said, taking a seat on a tall stool and smiling kindly.

"Yeah. I recently, um, I became active with my boyfriend."

"Your questionnaire said that you've had unprotected sex."

"Twice. It was an accident, we normally use it," She said, flushing under the woman's gaze and wondering if behind the serene, kindly face she was being judged for making such a huge mistake. "I want something in case it happens again."

"Accidents happen, the point is to be prepared for those times. First I'm going to have to ask you to give a sample of urine and then I'm going to take a blood sample, and we'll do the physical exam. One of the lab techs will go over your samples and we can go from there."

Kagome flushed, accepting the cup from the doctor and walking out of the room and across the hall, where the bathroom was. Quickly doing as she had been told, she put the cup on the ledge where a small, cabinet like door sat in the wall and washed her hands before going back, face burning. The doctor said nothing, seeming to notice her embarrassment as she closed the door.

Her vitals were taken, and then a blood sample, bright red in the overly white, sterile room. Doctor Hina gave her a paper dress from a cabinet and told her to put it on before leaving her alone to go give the tech the blood sample. Nervous, gut clenching, Kagome changed quickly and got back on the table, acutely aware of the cold air on her exposed back.

When Hina came back in, she sat and listened patiently as the procedure was described to her.

"Alright, lay back please, and put your feet in the stirrups."

What happened next made Kagome uncomfortable and vaguely ill, the feeling of having someone looking down there bad enough, but one the device moved into her she felt the nausea that had been roiling in her stomach double as dizziness made her vision swim.

But within minutes it was done, and the doctor removed the cold device, telling her it was alright to sit up, and that she would be back in another few minutes, allowing her time to dress.

And then a short eternity passed, one where she looked at the walls, wondering what was in the cabinets. When it moved from simple curiosity into horror at the imagined devices, Kagome grabbed the pamphlets from the counter and sat on the table again, staring down at the smiling faces of women, the bright blocked characters naming them glaring as they cut across the tops of their heads or their necks.

When the door opened again, she looked up, flushing as if she'd been caught staring at porn.

"Well, your samples indicate everything is normal. The results from your pap will be done within a few days, and we can call you or send them via mail, or both."

"Just a call," She mumbled, not wanting to chance that particular piece of mail being opened by anyone in her home. The doctor nodding in understanding, sitting on her stool and leaning back against the counter, legs and arms crossing.

"You're not pregnant, so we can look into birth control. Since you're saying it's a backup, in case another accident occurs, I take it you're not interested in ones you have to take in and out?"

"No ma'am," Kagome began, surprised when the woman chuckled.

"Hina is fine. Were there any that caught your attention?"

Kagome handed her the pamphlets, watching her face as Hina nodded thoughtfully.

"Which one seemed preferable to you?"

"The implant," Kagome answered honestly. "The charts suggest it was the most effective, and it's once every three years, so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting."

"It is the more popular choice," Hina agreed, smiling softly. "And I reviewed your medical records, you are a prime candidate for it. The pill is the standard option, and the cheapest in the short term," The doctor said.

"But?" Kagome asked, sensing the word hanging in the air.

Hina went over the long term costs of both and the clinic's payment program, all with an air of sincere interest, as though she hadn't said it all a hundred or thousand times before, putting Kagome at ease. It sounded manageable, and she had brought money with her to pay for something, although she hadn't thought birth control would be so expensive. However, everything considered, the cost was cheap for three years of peace of mind.

"I would like to do the implant then."

"Alright," Hina agreed. "I can perform the procedure today. Michiru mentioned a friend with you, would you like her to come back? I know it can be a little frightening."

"I would like that," Kagome admitted shyly, feeling foolish for wanting support but terrified by the diagrams that she had seen in the pamphlet. Hina made a notation on the folder sitting on the counter and stood, excusing herself and leaving Kagome alone. A minute later Ayumi was walking in, blinking at the sudden brightness of the room compared to the somewhat dim hallway.

"Is everything alright? They said you needed me."

"I'm getting the implant. I'm a little nervous," Kagome admitted quietly. Ayumi walked over and, ignoring propriety, sat on the table next to Kagome and wrapped and arm around her shoulder.

"You'll be fine."

"What if it hurts?"

"You're really going to worry about it hurting?" Ayumi asked, making no effort to hide her surprise. "After some of the stories I've heard you're scared of a needle?"

Put in that context Kagome knew it sounded silly, but the last object she'd had in her body had been a jewel, and granted there was a definite difference, she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"It'll be alright. You can squeeze my hand," Ayumi told her, taking her hand in her own and squeezing gently.

Hina walked back in, two slim boxes and a vial in hand. Kagome watched her wash her hands and put on gloves before opening the boxes and taking out two syringes, one that was normal and another one that made Kagome swallow convulsively.

"I need you to lie down and raise your arm over your head." Kagome complied, watching Ayumi walk to the other side of the table and take her hand. Cold shocked her system as her arm was swabbed.

"Now I'm going to inject a local anesthetic," She heard. Determined not to flinch, she stared up at the ceiling, feeling the pinch of the needle as it entered skin and the fluid pushing into her body. Within a moment the ordeal was over and Hina went and sat on her stool, closing the folder.

"Please don't move your arm. I'm going to give it a few minutes to numb up. So tell me about your boyfriend, or school," She tried.

"His names Kouga," Kagome murmured. "He's a mechanic that works on motorcycles."

"Bad boy huh?"

"Not really, he's really nice," Kagome defended. "We're going to work on a volunteer project he's helping to sponsor tomorrow."

"A volunteer project?"

"His garage and a few others pulled together to sponsor building a house for a habitat project."

"That sounds fun," Hina chuckled. "So a bad boy with a heart of gold."

"That's more like it," Ayumi agreed, giggling when Kagome shot her a wry look. "He fits the description pretty well Kagome, even you can't deny that. Maybe if he didn't curse so much."

"He-" Kagome started, then stopped, knowing that was one thing she couldn't deny.

"How does he feel about this?"

"He doesn't know yet, but he won't mind. We talked about it before, when the accidents happened. He was okay with me getting it."

"But he doesn't know you came today?"

"It was sort of last minute. I decided to do it after going to the DMV."

"The DMV?"

"My permit. He built me a motorcycle, and I've been learning to ride."

"Wow, must be serious if he built you a motorcycle," Hina replied, obviously impressed. "I'd kill for a guy to build me a birdhouse, much less a motorcycle," She added, chuckling. She got up and walked over, poking Kagome's arm experimentally. Kagome couldn't feel it, and told her, earning an approving nod before walking back over to the table and putting on a new set of gloves after removing the old and taking the monster syringe in hand.

Kagome watched it coming closer and squeezed Ayumi's hand, waiting for the pain.

But it didn't hurt as it was pushed in and worked under her skin. She could, in a very vague way, feel it sliding around beneath her flesh, heard an absurdly loud, startling click and then felt it sliding out. Hina pushed lightly against her arm and nodded again.

"You can feel it here, beneath the skin," She explained, letting Kagome touch her arm. Beneath the skin she felt a hard ridge and nodded, realizing that it was over.

"You need to keep the bandage and wrapping in place for twenty four hours, and the bandaid for at least three, or replace them after showering. The steristrips need to stay on for a week, but don't worry about replacing them if they fall off before that," Hina explained as she put two small steristrips of the implant and then a bandaid, followed by folded gauze and then a wrapping of it.

"It will be effective in seven days, and you might be sore for a week. If you notice any redness spreading or swelling, contact your physician, since you'll be having an allergic reaction, and we can't treat that here. If you need to remove it for any other reason, or at the end of three years, you can come back here."

"Thank you," Kagome told her, chancing a smile.

"Not so bad, was it?" Hina asked.

"No," Kagome admitted.

"Remember, you need another pap in six months. We can call to schedule if you need."

"Thanks," Kagome told her nodding as the woman dropped the syringes and gloves in a bright orange medical waste bin.

"No problem, I'm glad you're being responsible, that's what we're here for," Hina told her. "Michiru will be able to help you with your payment plan up front."

Both she and Ayumi walked up front, and Kagome was surprised when Michiru, she was glad to have a name, handed her the bookbag.

"It was sitting up here," The woman explained, smiling brightly. "Hina told me we'll need to work out a payment plan."

For the next five minutes Kagome went over her information, surprised when her initial fee only came out to a little over two thousand yen, which she had. Her brand new permit was copied into the file and put into a folder before being tucked into a drawer and locked away.

"Did you want to schedule your next appointment?"

"I'm fine for now. When I go to school I'll be out of town, so I don't know when exactly I'll be able to come," She admitted.

"That's fine. We'll give you a call to let you know the results in a few days."

And like that they were walking out into the sunlight, giving eachother surprised looks.

"I thought that was going to be a lot different," Kagome told Ayumi as they walked to the bus stop.

"Me too," Ayumi admitted. "I might go there if-"

"If what?" Kagome asked.

"If I get a boyfriend," Ayumi said, blushing and smiling as she said it. "The doctor seemed really nice."

"She was," Kagome laughed, realizing she had relaxed sometime during the whole process.

"Do you know where the garage is?" Ayumi asked suddenly.

"Not really," Kagome admitted.

"Think we could find it on the internet?"

"What are you planning?" Kagome asked.

"Lunch."

"We could call-"

"A surprise lunch," Ayumi laughed.

They got on the bus and chattered excitedly, already planning to take their helmets and jackets to surprise the youkai and hopefully go riding with them. Changing buses twice, they almost skipped to Ayumi's house, running upstairs to race one another to the computer.

Ayumi got to it first, pulling up the internet browser while Kagome put her medical records and the aftercare sheet for her implant on the small desk, taking care to slide the aftercare sheet and billing information into the folder before shoving their helmets into her bookbag, not caring in the least that they created awkward, unsightly bulges in it.

"Does this sound right?" Ayumi asked, reading out an address. "It says it's owned by Yuuma."

"Is there a diner called Denyo's in the area?" Kagome asked, peering over her friend's shoulder as the information was typed in.

"Less than a mile away."

"Then that's it. Come on," Kagome urged, suddenly impatient. Ayumi nodded, following her downstairs and back outside, calling out a quick goodbye to her mother as the door slammed shut behind them.

"You think they'll be happy?" Ayumi asked as they waited for the bus.

"I bet they will. After all that complaining about the order they're working on, they'll probably want a break, and when they find out about the permits I'm sure they'll be excited. Especially yours, since they had no idea," Kagome told her confidently.

"I hope so. You don't think they'll feel I'm being too presumptuous, do you?"

Kagome couldn't stop herself from making a disbelieving sound as they got on the bus and put change in the slot.

"If anything they'll probably do cartwheels. I'll bet they offer to teach you the minute they see that."

"You really think so? I don't want to impose on them."

"Pack, remember? Besides, I'm positive they wouldn't think it's imposing," Kagome promised as the bus began to move, jolting them slightly.

It took two buses to get to the train station and another after that to get to the area the garage was located, one Kagome noticed was mostly warehouses and small businesses Taking Ayumi's hand, they looked around, and Ayumi spotted the street sign immediately. They did have to walk several blocks before they found it, the rolling doors all open and the sounds of machinery coming from within.

Walking in, Kagome immediately noticed Kouga in a jumpsuit working on a motorcycle bigger than even his, a mask over his face as he worked, although he was only using a wrench of some sort. The machine sounds were coming from the workbenches where Ginta and Hakkaku worked several feet away from eachother, Ginta on something bigger, Hakkaku leaning in to carefully handle what it was he was working on. They were also wearing masks and had on thick ear protectors.

"This is where they work?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide. Kagome nodded and tugged on her hand, pulling her forward and into the garage. Kouga looked up, quickly setting the wrench in the toolbox next to him and walking over to them, pulling off his mask as he went.

"Hey," He smiled, immediately moving to hug Kagome. She raised her arms up to circle his neck, noticing for the first time a pain in her arm where the implant was as she rested it against him. Smiling despite the soreness, which had only been faint before, she kissed him soundly, smiling when he pulled away.

"You guys have been busy," She observed.

"The asshole took his services elsewhere, since having to wait annoyed him."

"Wait?"

"I get the chroming done elsewhere and assemble here," He explained. "Since he didn't tell me what he wanted immediately, and the guy I work with got another order in, he would have had to wait a bit longer. Screw him though," Kouga laughed. "I'm working on something for Taki."

"That's for Taki?" Kagome asked, eyes widening.

"Yup, hoping to work around her foot. She still rides, but it's a hassle, so we modify them for her. This just needed some adjusting."

"She rides that?" Kagome asked, still staring at the monstrous bike.

"Taki likes 'em big," He chuckled, walking over to the toolbox and pulling out a couple of small bolts, then throwing them at Ginta and Hakkaku, hitting both their heads.

They looked ready to protest until they saw her and Ayumi, immediately putting their tools down and pulling off the ear protection and striding over.

"Hey, didn't expect to see you guys!" Ginta said, smiling widely.

"Good thing too, I'm starved."

"You ate a huge breakfast," Ayumi sputtered.

"Growing boy," He joked, rubbing his stomach through the jumpsuit.

"Out maybe," Ayumi snorted.

"Come on lamebrains, the girls have decided to save us from work, let's not disappoint," Kouga laughed, walking inside. Kagome followed, surprised when everyone else did as they began climbing the stairs to Kouga's apartment. Once she got inside she understood why, seeing the clothes laying haphazardly on the couch.

"Be out in a sec," Kouga told her, walking for his room. Ginta and Hakkaku followed, grabbing their clothes.

"They weren't wearing anything under that?" Ayumi whispered, coloring.

"Guess not," Kagome mumbled, flushing as she imagined Kouga with the jumpsuit hanging around his waist. Unable to get the picture out of her head, she crossed her arms and tried to will her blush away, noticing that Ayumi couldn't stop the red spreading from her cheeks to her whole face either.

"They're all really comfortable with eachother," Ayumi murmured as a loud thump sounded and laughter echoed on the other side of the door.

"They grew up together."

Another thump followed by more laughter.

"What do you think they're doing?" Ayumi asked.

"A man dance?" Kagome suggested, jumping when something thumped loudly against the door.

"Towel popping, like in those movies where they show the guy's locker room?"

"We are not towel popping," Ginta called out.

"I forgot they could hear so well," Ayumi muttered.

"We're not doing a man dance either!" Hakkaku shouted.

"I bet they're smacking each other on the butts or something," Kagome whispered as lowly as she could in Ayumi's ear.

"I heard that!" Kouga shouted. "If you want your ass-"

"Kouga don't you dare!" Kagome shouted back.

"Kami, shit!" Kouga muttered, opening the door and rubbing his ear. "Lower the decibel range."

Kagome blushed hotly, crossing her arms and flinching when the sore spot flared with another ache.

"You alright?" He asked, closing the short distance between them. "That's the second time you've done that."

Kagome was wearing the jacket Hayate had given her, so she knew Kouga couldn't see the bandages, hadn't wanted him to until he explained it.

"We can go on ahead. You mentioned a diner, right?" Ayumi asked, nodding to the two youkai watching Kouga and Kagome.

"Yeah, sounds good," Kagome murmured, blushing when she realized everyone but Ayumi was staring at her. Being the center of attention, very concerned attention, made her want to crawl into a hole and hide. The embarrassment from her visit with the doctor returned, making her shuffle her feet as Ayumi accepted the backpack and pulled her helmet out.

"Come on guys," Ayumi urged the other two ookami, closing the door after they walked down the stairs slowly.

"What's wrong?"

"I-" She started, then shrugged and took the jacket off. Tossing it on the couch behind her she raised her arm.

"What the hell happened?" Kouga asked, staring at the bandage. "I don't smell blood, at least not much."

Kagome plopped onto the couch, puffing air at her bangs as he sat next to her.

"I went to the clinic today."

"Clinic? For a doctor?"

"For a physical checkup and-" She stopped again, knowing the word would stutter out. Already embarrassed enough, she tried to force the word out.

"And?"

"I got the implant," She burst out, the words soft and plosive, quickly said.

"Implant? What sort of implant?"

"A birth control implant."

"In your arm?" He asked, blinking obliquely, obviously confused. She nodded, once, leaning forward and bracing her arms on her knees.

"They did a physical and then I looked at different kinds. This one seemed like the best option."

"An implant?" He asked again, still bemusement etching his features.

"It more effective than the pill, and it lasts for three years, so I chose it. It's a little sore though. Doctor Hina warned me it would be." Kagome realized she was speaking with an almost clinical detachment, her mortification making it almost breathless as the words hit the air.

"Why didn't you tell me before you went?" He asked softly. Kagome looked up at him, surprised that he seemed almost hurt. "I would have gone with you."

"I decided to do it, spur of the moment and everything. I knew mom would flip if I talked to her about it, so I went to the clinic. I'm a student, so my fees aren't too high, and we worked out a payment plan," She explained.

"I'll pay the rest. I wish you'd told me beforehand," He sighed. "I'm glad you did it," He explained quickly when she gave him a blank look, unsure of what he was trying to say. "I just don't want you to do something like that alone. And since I'm part of it, I mean," He faltered, coloring.

"Ayumi was with me during the insert. It wasn't bad or anything, I got a numbing shot. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine," He told her, putting an arm over her shoulder. "I do want to pay for the rest. If I had better control, it wouldn't be an issue."

"Will you stop that?" Kagome sighed. "It's your nature. If it was a problem, I would tell you. It's not though. It took less than a minute to get the solution. So stop beating yourself up over it."

"I just don't want you to-"

"Get annoyed that I can't even jump my boyfriend?" She tried joking, guilt immediately settling in following it when his eyes widened. It wasn't something to laugh about, but the seriousness of the conversation was beginning to worry her. She had hoped that Kouga had accepted what had happened, but apparently he hadn't.

"Kouga, I'm sorry, that was a mean joke, I didn't-I'm sorry," She said again, sighing heavily. "I don't understand what you went through, but I don't mind it. You forget that I'm used to youkai. What you did, it was nothing like Inu Yasha breaking the seal on his youkai blood and killing people."

"I could have," Kouga snapped.

"But you didn't. When I told you I wanted to leave, you listened. You didn't try to hurt me, you _knew_ me," She reminded him. "And if getting me all sweaty and covered in your scent is the way to soothe what was brought to the surface, sex is a better way that doing something else, like a normal wolf would."

Kouga choked on a laugh, easing the tension in the room. Leaning against him, she wove her fingers through his, hoping that whatever had been bothering had at least lessened, to some extent.

"I don't like scaring you," He admitted.

"At first I was," She said softly. "And then I realized you were still you. And then-" She stopped flushing as she remembered what had happened that night.

A low sigh echoed through the small room and Kagome looked over to Kouga, who was staring back at her.

"You've turned into a pervert," He muttered, moving to nuzzle her.

"It's your fault," She murmured, the words brushing over his lips as she turned and tilted her head. It was an awkward kiss given their position, and craving the contact, she shifted until she was facing him, one leg thrown over his. Teeth clicked together unpleasantly, making her pull back and run her tongue over her own, eyes pinned on him.

"Kagome, I know you want to make me feel better, but-"

"But what?" She asked, leaning forward again.

"I don't need this sort of thing, alright? Don't- Not for me."

Seeing the hesitation and wariness in his expression, Kagome sighed, pulling herself up so that she was straddling his lap. Threading her hands into his hair, she ignored that she was mussing his ponytail, lightly scratching his scalp and leaning down so that her nose rested lightly against his.

"You're right, we don't need it," She told him. "But we both like it. I am doing this for you, in part," She told him, sensing more than seeing his mouth open to speak. "But I'm doing it for me too."

Feeling like anything but a seductive, worldly woman, she tilted her head, kissed his cheek, moved to his jaw.

"I like feeling this closeness with you," She murmured, hands dropping to the hem of his shirt and moving underneath to feel the warmth of his skin. Strong hands settled on her hips, inched up under her shirt slowly to rest on her waist as she kissed along the line of his jaw and down to his neck, lips barely brushing the surface. Her hands traveled higher, laying flat as she reveled in the feeling of his muscles tensing beneath her palms.

"It doesn't always have to be gentle or slow, I won't break," She promised, tongue darting out to touch the sensitive spot below his ear. "As long as it's you."

Claws pricked her skin, fingertips digging in as his body shuddered beneath her, a shaky, heavy breath blowing past her ear before she moved to claim his lips again. Kouga remained passive, allowing her entrance, allowing her to lead the kiss but not pushing for anything.

Gripping his shirt, she pulled it up, broke the kiss long enough to get it over his head before throwing it behind her. Leaning to kiss his lips lightly, his nose,his forehead, she worked her own shirt up, pulled away, careful of the bandage, and it joined his. His hands remained on her waist, held tight as she fumbled with her bra while trying to keep kissing, afraid that if she stopped, gave him a chance to speak, his doubts and fears would creep back in.

Moving her hips, she felt him shudder, hips moving up beneath her. Trying the movement again, the harsh breath that escaped into her mouth was punctuated by the feel of his fangs grazing her lips. Slowly she moved, trying to disguise that she was pushing her shoes off of her feet, feeling awkward. They dropped to the floor with a loud thump, forgotten when his hands slipped beneath the waistband of her jeans to slide against her bottom.

Two hollow thumps echoed, startling her until she realized he'd toed his boots off, his hands tentatively exploring her back, pulling her closer to kiss her again. Warmth shivered through her, body feeling heavy and tight. Hands moved, explored, smoothed over skin, needy and warm until she was shivering, arching into them.

Fumbling with the button of his pants, she made a frustrated sound, earned a plosive almost laugh from him as he lifted his hips, shimmied so she could pull them down. His hands pulled at her jeans, the button and zipper coming down with ease. Slowly, wanting to keep the mood they had attained, Kagome moved, shifted until she was naked, helped him slide his off of his legs.

In the short time they'd been abstinent, she'd somehow forgotten how warm he was, the skin to skin contact more gratifying than she had hoped.

"Pants," Kouga murmured against her lips. Confused, she pulled back, face flush and a bolt of anxiety creeping into the easy languor that had muffled coherent thought. "Protection, in my pants," He mumbled, hands still moving over her skin. Flushing even more brightly, for not thinking about it, she twisted and reached for the discarded pants, almost falling until his grip tightened on her waist, steadying her.

It was awkward again, fumbling, as she pulled the wallet out and grabbed the foil packet. Awkward as she opened it, awkward as she rolled the condom down his length.

"Kagome, you sure about this?" He asked, looking up at her.

Slowly, with more confidence than she actually felt, Kagome lifted herself, moved over him until he was just there, teasing her entrance. Thighs straining, she lowered herself increment by increment, teeth worrying her bottom lip as she adjusted to his size. A harsh groan escaped, punctuated by her moan as his hands cupped her bottom, claws pricking into the soft flesh.

It was obvious he wanted it as much as she did, his thighs tense beneath her. Reaching behind him, she grabbed the back of the couch for leverage, lifting herself slowly. His eyes were clenched shut, jaw tight as she moved. Nuzzling his nose, she stopped moving completely,waited for his eyes to open. When they did, she kissed him slowly, moving down again.

"I will always be sure about us."

Moving slowly, she reveled in the feeling of him beneath her, inside of her, hips moving up to meet her every time she let gravity pull her down, fill her up with him.

 

* * *

 

When they walked into the diner, they saw Ayumi wave from the corner and walked over. Ginta and Hakkaku both stared at them, expressions pole axed as they sat down.

"Wow."

"What?" Ayumi asked.

"Say one word," Kagome mumbled as she sat down next to Ayumi. "And I will make sure you regret it."

"Might be worth it," Ginta told her.

"What's the worst she'd do?" Hakkaku asked.

"Play with what's left of you after I beat the shit out of you," Kouga growled.

"Not our fault you can't shower after an afternoon romp."

"Damnit Ginta," Kagome muttered, covering her face with her hands. The waitress walked over, and Kagome hoped the woman hadn't heard that part of the conversation.

Kouga called her by name, and Kagome and he both ordered their drinks before she was walking away again.

"Seriously. Why do you guys hate showers so much?" Hakkaku asked.

"One more word and I'll tell Ayumi that we're not showing the surprise," Kagome threatened.

"That's mean," Ayumi whined softly. "I've been waiting since we got here."

"Surprise?" Kouga asked, looking completely lost.

"We went somewhere else today," Kagome said, smiling shyly.

"Now?" Ayumi asked. Kagome nodded and reached in her back pocket while Ayumi pulled her id booklet from her purse. They both slid the permits onto the table at the same time, smiling widely.

"This is awesome!" Ginta shouted, a grin stretching his lips wide.

"Both of you?" Hakkaku asked, looking as excited as Ginta, eyes flicking from Ayumi and Kagome to the permits on the table.

"Two women on bikes, kami help us," Kouga joked, shrugging when Kagome stuck her tongue out at him.

"I was hoping," Ayumi murmured, flushing brightly. "That maybe I could learn with Kagome, if it's not too much trouble. I don't want to impose or take up any time-"

"No, it's fine," Hakkaku started.

"We'd love to teach you," Ginta finished, almost bouncing in his seat.

"Told you," Kagome said, looking at Ayumi and giggling.

"You look like you're about to explode in this picture," Kouga observed, picking up the permit.

"It's awful," Kagome sighed, still unable to shake her smile.

"It is pretty bad," He agreed, earning an exasperated huff.

"You really shouldn't talk about your girlfriend that way," Ginta told him.

"Especially when yours is worse," Hakkaku added.

"Really?" Kagome asked, eyes wide.

"It's bad, he had helmet hair and everything that day."

"It's not my fault the DMV decided to pick the most obnoxious asshole on the planet to work the damn counter," Kouga growled.

"I'd like to see it," Kagome quipped, putting her elbows on the table and propping her chin on her hands, giving him what she hoped were doe eyes. Obviously fake, facetious ones.

"Fine," Kouga grumbled, shifting and pulling his wallet out.

"You too guys," Ayumi told Ginta and Hakkaku.

Three licenses joined the permits on the table.

"You both had helmet hair," Kagome snickered, looking down at the pictures.

"Nah, Ginta tried gelling his hair that day," Kouga snorted. "Damn near fainted from the fumes in his helmet."

"No better than Hakkaku shaving off his mohawk," Ginta retorted.

"Please don't ever shave your head again," Ayumi murmured. "That looks terrible. Even a mohawk would be better."

"I wanted my hair to grow out evenly," Hakkaku defended, blushing. "I'm not going to do it again."

Kagome was still looking at the dour expression on Kouga's face, surprised fangs weren't showing for all the irritation in his eyes.

"Your hair looks like you were making out with an electrical socket," She commented dryly.

"Ha-ha," He muttered, taking the license and putting it back in his wallet and sliding that into his pocket.

The waitress came back and took their orders, leaving them to discuss learning how to ride a motorcycle, something all of them latched onto. By the time food came, Kouga was arguing with Ginta and Hakkaku, groaning when they mentioned going to Taki's that afternoon for armor similar to Kagome's.

"Can we at least wait until her bike is finished. She might be nicer," Kouga sighed, absentmindedly eating a fry. "Or better yet, without me?"

"Make her mad?" Kagome asked, staring at him with a smile.

"She's already demanding we come for dinner. I've only been back a few days, and we're going to be working on the house tomorrow. If we go to Taki's we'll be there late. Happens every time. We need to be there at seven."

"What about tomorrow after the building project?" Ginta asked.

"We might be useful, but they won't," Kouga said, shrugging when both Kagome and Ayumi glared at him. "What?" He demanded. "You're going to be busting ass, and unlike us, you don't have unlimited stamina or strength. Do you really want to deal with Taki when you're sore and tired?"

"He's got a point," Hakkaku sighed.

"I guess not," Kagome admitted. "Still-"

"Give it a few days. The permits aren't going anywhere, and neither is Taki. That old bat will outlive us all."

"She's human," Kagome pointed out quietly.

"Doesn't matter," Ginta snorted.

"Death is afraid of Taki," Hakkaku agreed.

"Maybe a few days is a good idea," Ayumi said, paling considerably. Kagome sighed, wanting to hit all three males over the head and barely restraining herself.

"You're scaring Ayumi guys," She pointed out flatly. "Look, Taki is rough around the edges like the guys, but she's a good person. Don't worry."

"I'm not," Ayumi stuttered, although the lie was obvious.

"You want us to lie?" Kouga asked.

"You're making her out to sound like some monster that eats small children and breathes fire," Kagome snapped. "She's a bit short with people, but she obviously cares about you and she gave me the armor for no reason I can explain other than she was being nice. So however short she is with people, she's still nice."

Kouga opened his mouth, as if to rebut her statement, then closed it abruptly.

"Lover's spat?" Ginta asked, eyes wide.

"Their first one maybe?" Hakkaku added.

"No, I just can't think of anything to throw against that, since she's right," Kouga grumbled. "Smart asses."

Kagome preened, she really couldn't help herself, sticking out her tongue when Kouga rolled his eyes and muttered something too low for her to hear. Ginta and Hakkaku however, both choked on their drinks.

"So about tomorrow," Ayumi began, breaking the silence that had descended.

"We can pick you guys up, it'll be early," Kouga sighed, leaning back in his seat. "And you need to be ready to go when we get there."

"Or they could crash with us," Hakkaku offered.

"That way we're all in one place and can just go. We'd all get more sleep too."

"I dunno," Kouga began.

"It makes sense," Ayumi agreed.

"I don't want Kagome's mom trying to murder me," Kouga sighed.

"I can take care of it," Kagome told him, shrugging it off. He looked doubtful, but she only shrugged again, not wanting to admit she would just tell her mother she was staying with Ayumi, which wouldn't technically be a lie, just a lack of details.

"Fair enough," Kouga said. "What about you?"

"My parents won't mind, they know I was planning on working on the project, I can just tell them it will be simpler to start from one place in the morning. We'll need to get some clothes though."

"The guys can take you, I need to finish Taki's bike."

"What about the-"

"I can finish where you left off," Kouga told him. "I'll meet up with you at the apartment."

"Sounds like a plan," Kagome told them. "I can grab my bag from the shop and pack-"

"Ayumi can take your bag, you're staying," He growled, although there was no anger to it, merely command.

"I am?"

"You're the one who wanted to learn more. Seems like a good time to start."

"Learning, sure," Hakkaku said, words exaggerated and reminding Kagome far too much of Yuka for a moment.

"She'll still be learning," Ginta started.

"You guys are impossible," Ayumi huffed, cutting Ginta's statement off.

"Keep going and I'll tell Taki it was you guys that hooked Mikon up with Shoko."

"What?" Ginta stuttered, paling so much that his tan looked whitewashed.

"Shoko?" Kagome asked, surprised by the utter horror on Ginta and Hakkaku's faces.

"Crazy," Hakkaku shuddered.

"Nuts."

"She was fucking deranged," Kouga added. "Ran her car into his bike when he broke up with her."

"She did what?" Ayumi gasped.

"After dating for two weeks."

"People do that?" Kagome asked.

"Crazy people," Kouga snorted. "Which is why they won't keep going on. Not unless they want Taki trying to run them over," He added as he got up and walked over to the counter to pay their bill. Kagome got up and grabbed their helmets, looking to Ayumi, who was still blushing from the innuendo.

"Do you mind if I borrowed some clothes?" Kagome asked.

"It's fine," Ayumi said, hugging her helmet. "Is everything alright now though?"

"It's fine," Kagome told her, offering an equally shy smile. "I'll see you later?"

"See you later," Ayumi promised as they walked out into the sunlight.

She watched as Ayumi got on behind Hakkaku and pulled on her helmet, waving as they pulled out of the parking lot. Kouga walked out a second later, accepting his helmet with a smile.

"Ready to learn about breaks?" He asked, enthusiasm obvious as he straddled the motorcycle.

"Sure," Kagome laughed, his mood infectious as she pulled herself up behind him.

 

* * *

 

By the time Kouga had finished working on the breaks, which he had modified for Taki's disability, Kagome's head was swimming with information. The simple modification Kouga had made to Taki's break to move it to the handlebars hadn't been simple at all, at least to her, and when she followed him up the stairs to Ginta and Hakkaku's apartment, she was still intimidated by the fact that she could only remember half of what Kouga had taught her that day.

When they walked in, Kouga didn't knock, just used a key from his wallet, Ayumi, Ginta and Hakkaku were going over the riding book Kouga had gotten for her.

"Hey guys. Tell me there is dinner," Kouga sighed, putting his helmet next to the three already on the table in the small dining area and then shrugging off his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair. Kagome followed suit, toeing off her shoes and padding over to the 'living room' which was distinguished only by the futon mattresses on the floor around a large square coffee table.

"Figured we'd order pizza," Ginta told him.

"We were waiting for you guys."

Kouga groaned as he walked into the kitchen and called out two different names, growling loudly when both youkai called out different names. Kagome giggled, sitting next to Ayumi and looking at the book that was open on the table.

"Did you two have fun?" Ginta asked slyly.

"I got to learn about breaks today," Kagome answered honestly.

"Or lack of them?" Hakkaku asked before a shoe came out of nowhere and hit him, knocking him backward. The next hit Ginta head on, literally, thumping onto the futon next to him.

"Is it normal for them to do that?" Ayumi asked, blinking several times, as if she wasn't sure she had seen what she thought she had.

"Maybe. They can be really abusive," Kagome noted in a dry tone.

"Just wait assholes, the minute either of you even so much as think of asking-"

"Kouga," Kagome said, warning in her voice. Kouga stopped immediately, head popping out of the kitchen, frown firmly in place.

"What, so they can harass me and you about our sex life and I can't return the favor?"

"You'll be making some poor girl as embarrassed as I am now. I'd be angry. Remember how you said you'd never piss me off?"

"Fine," He muttered, flipping open his phone and dialing a number. Kagome turned back to the book, rolling her eyes and huffing as Ginta and Hakkaku straightened, both rubbing their heads and groaning plaintively.

"Serves you both right for embarrassing Kagome," Ayumi told them, voice tight.

"It is so good to have another girl in this group," Kagome told her firmly.

"Wonderful. Two women to pms together with," Hakkaku sighed.

"One of them a miko," Ginta added.

Kagome and Ayumi each smacked one of them on their heads, muttering about insensitive males. Ayumi got up and grabbed her bag, Kagome following as they walked to the bathroom, small, but not as small as Kouga's, and changing into the pajamas Ayumi had packed.

"It could be worse," Kagome sighed.

"How?" Ayumi asked.

"Could be Yuka and Eri," She chuckled.

They walked back out, surprised to see two very forlorn looking youkai staring back at them with wide blue eyes, reminding Kagome immediately of the term 'puppy dog eyes'. She didn't think they would appreciate the sentiment though.

"We're sorry for being-"

"Crass and insensitive," Hakkaku finished.

Kagome looked at them both, feeling like she'd been kicked in the gut.

"Stop, I feel like I just ran over your bikes," Kagome groaned, sitting down between them. Ayumi sat next to her, looking like Kagome felt.

"Don't fall for it girls, they're good at this. Centuries of practice to keep their mom from kicking their ass."

"You guys are brothers?" Ayumi asked, the topic change making Kagome's brain stutter for a moment before she realized what had been said.

"Sort of," Ginta said.

"My mother shortly died giving birth to me. I nursed with Ginta," Hakkaku explained.

"Oh, I didn't know," Ayumi said, switching from looking at one to the other. "That explains why you're both so close."

"Brothers," Ginta agreed.

The topic shifted from there, both of them talking about their own memories of the pack and meeting Kouga for the first time when their pack combined with his. Kagome found out that the two youkai had taken an instant dislike to their future pack leader, and the feeling had been mutual. What had started as dislike had turned into an all out war until they'd annoyed the pack so much that their fathers had knocked sense into them in a very literal sense and told them to get along, or else. What the or else had been was never explained, and Kagome figured that not even Kouga knew. It was the vague, shadowy 'or else' that every parent gave their child sooner or later, regardless of species.

They were still telling stories when she felt Ayumi lean against her, and when she began to slump onto the table, careful to avoid the plates of pizza. A small, friendly argument broke out about something from a hunting party they'd assembled, and that was the last thing she remembered hearing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ton Up
> 
> By: The Hatter Theory
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the right to Inu Yasha.
> 
> AN: The reviews have been amazing. Thank you guys so much. See you next week.

Kagome felt someone shaking her, heard voices whispering and a long feminine groan, one that had not come from her throat. Opening her eyes, she saw Ayumi first, burying her face into a pillow. The next thing she noticed was that Ayumi was being rocked, a clawed hand on her shoulder, and that she was getting the same treatment.

"Not yet," Ayumi whimpered, clenching her eyelids tightly together and pulling the pillow closer.

"We need to get ready," Ginta's voice whispered.

"Come on Kagome," Kouga's voice told her. "If you want breakfast you need to get up, or else you'll starve until lunch."

"Ayumi," Hakkaku whispered, voice a bit more forceful than Ginta's had been. "Wake up."

"Five more minutes," Ayumi groaned, clutching the pillow even tighter and hiding her face in it. Kagome giggled, wondering in a very dazed way, still too sleepy to actually worry, how her friend was breathing.

"Ayumi," She whispered, getting closer. "If you don't get up, I'll tell them about that trick your mom uses."

A single angry, brown eye peeked from the pillow, opening narrowly and not entirely without a hint of anger.

"That's low Kagome," Ayumu growled.

"It works," She said through a yawn, pushing herself up and looking down at the curled ball that was her normally sweet, quiet friend. Ayumi was notorious for being difficult to wake up, and it was the one time of the day she was not sweet or quiet. In fact, her mother had likened her to a bear through her middle and high school days.

And she still hadn't uncurled.

"Fine," Kagome sighed, standing up and grabbing the bottom of the blanket, giving it a sharp tug. Ayumi clung before losing the battle, exposing her body to the chill.

" _Mean_ Kagome," Ayumi whined, pushing herself up and glaring at her.

"At least it wasn't frozen marbles."

"Kagome!"

"What? It's what your mom had to do."

"Frozen marbles?" Ginta asked as Ayumi got up and stretched, another yawn turning into a highpitched squeak before she walked into the bathroom.

"Put them in the freezer and then in the morning, if she refuses to get up, put them under the covers. She can't roll away from them. Her mom has three or four bags that she's used, and Ayumi's room has marbles everywhere," Kagome giggled lightly. "Every once in awhile we'd have a marble hunt to take a break from studying for finals."

"She's worse than you," Kouga chuckled, walking in from the kitchen with two steaming mugs in hand. Kagome accepted it gratefully, taking a small sip before she cringed.

"What is this?" She sputtered.

"Coffee," Kouga told her, brow raised.

"It's like oil," She told him, staring down at the cup before looking back up at him.

"Good coffee is," Ginta told her, walking into the kitchen, presumably to make himself a mug as well.

"So what's this I heard about breakfast?" Kagome asked before taking another sip.

"We can grab something on the way, we need to hurry though," Kouga told her. Kagome nodded, opting to set her coffee on the table that had been moved after she had fallen asleep. Obviously the youkai had chosen to let her and Ayumi stay where they were, only shifting them on the futon they'd been sitting on and moving the coffee table to move the others around it, curling around them again. It was the strangest sleeping arrangement Kagome had ever been a part of, but not unpleasant or embarrassing. If anything she couldn't help but feel it was sweet, how the youkai were looking after her and her friend.

"I'm going to go change," She told them, grabbing the bag Ayumi had packed and heading for the bedroom. It wasn't lost on her that there was only one bedroom, and that all signs pointed to the fact that Ginta and Hakkaku shared it. Given their ease with sleeping next to one another and showering together, she didn't find it strange that they shared a room.

Ayumi knocked and came in a moment later, quickly changing. She was still yawning when Kagome threw one of the plain shirts at her.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to waking up in a pile of people," Ayumi said through another yawn as she tugged the shirt on. "It's nice, but strange. Especially since it's guys."

"At least they're not trying to pile on top of you," Kagome pointed out as she put on socks.

"True," Ayumi said, smiling sheepishly. "That would get heavy."

They shoved their pajamas in the bag and walked out, the guys tipping their mugs back and murmuring amongst themselves, speaking in the growls and grumbles that reminded her of the past.

"Think I'll ever be able to speak that?" Kagome asked as Kouga passed her.

"Dunno," He admitted. "We were born as wolves, it took me forever to learn human speech."

"You were born as wolves?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"Story for later," He told her as Ginta and Hakkaku followed him into the room and the door shut. Kagome looked to Ayumi, who looked as surprised as she felt.

"They were born as wolves?" Ayumi whispered, eyes wide. She was obviously awake after that tidbit, and even Kagome was having trouble grasping it.

"I wonder how they gained their human forms," She murmured, going to put on her shoes. "I guess it makes sense, I remember a lot of the pack following him looking like wolves."

"You think the wolf populations becoming extinct was really ookami taking human forms permanently?" Ayami asked her quietly.

"Maybe," Kagome said, turning the problem over in her head. And if that was true, what about other extinct animal populations? Had they really disappeared, or had they been youkai and merely taken human form for safety?

The door opened and the youkai filed out, all in jeans that had seen better days, grease stains and frayed holes in the knees, and plain cotton shirts and work boots. All of them looked slightly uncomfortable, as if they had been discussing something they hadn't liked or worse, Kagome wondered if what she and Ayumi had said had been heard and it made them feel that way. Remembering the history Kouga had given her, she wondered if the idea of the other wolves discomfited him, or if that split had been a cause of the wolf population vanishing into the ether.

"Come on guys," Kouga told them. "We've still got to grab some breakfast."

She and Ayumi followed silently, ignoring the helmets and jackets on the table and going ahead of the youkai to the parking lot where the truck waited. Once inside with the youkai, Kagome almost wished she was in the backseat next to Ayumi, the silence was so oppressive. It certainly wasn't the almost playful atmosphere they'd woken to less than half an hour before, and the tension was seeping into them, stiffening their bodies as Kouga pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

It was still dark outside, and Kagome looked around, trying to figure out where the sun would be coming up from. It would be the first sunrise they had all shared together, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to share it with them. A selfish part of her liked having something between just her and Kouga. In the next moment she reminded herself that the three youkai probably shared everything, they'd had centuries together, centuries she suddenly envied.

A hand settled on her own, making her jump at the sudden, unexpected contact. Looking over to Kouga, she saw him tilt his head towards his window with a small smile. She looked past him and saw the first beginnings on light beginning to peek over the buildings. Turning quickly to see if the others were watching, she noticed that Ginta and Hakkaku, seated on either side of Ayumi, were leaning against her, eyes closed.

They were all snoring softly.

Her anxiety washed away at the sight, her mind content with the quasi privacy afforded by their slumber and the feeling that she and Ayumi had, in a tangle of events she hadn't expected in the least, become true pack.

Squeezing Kouga's hand gently, she watched the light begin to creep over the buildings as he navigated through the city and pulled into a small gas station that had a restaurant attached. Leaving the others to their relative peace -Ginta's snoring had gotten slightly louder- she went in with Kouga and waited patiently with him while he ordered several biscuit sandwiches and coffees. This time when the cups came, she took one for her and another for Ayumi and mixed cream and sugar in before putting the lids back on, ignoring Kouga's amused smirk.

When they got back in, all three people in the back seat came to life, the smell of breakfast wafting through the truck too strong to ignore. Kagome passed back coffee cups and took a few biscuits from the bag before passing the rest back.

"You said other garages were helping to sponsor the house," She mentioned as they ate.

"Three other shops. We're going to help put up the framing and subflooring today, the foundation is already done. Contractors will put the roof on without us, they don't want us screwing that up, and I'm not particularly keen on roofing anyway," He told her through a mouthful. He swallowed quickly and took a long sip from his coffee. "We'll go back to help with putting up sheetrock and priming, easy stuff. They'll have all the wiring and plumbing done by then, since that isn't something they want amateurs messing around with."

"You guys work with electricity all the time."

"On bikes, not for houses. Two completely different animals," Hakkaku answered from the back seat, as Kouga was finishing his biscuit in another huge bite.

"We'd probably do something that would set the house on fire the minute it was turned on," Ginta added.

"So it's just hammering and carrying stuff around, that sort of thing. Pretty simple stuff."

Kagome nodded, wondering if it really would be that simple as they drove into the suburbs, obviously a poorer section of them, but still suburbs, where simple, small houses dotted an out of the way street. When she began to notice more and more motorcycles parked along the side, some like Kouga's and some that were completely different, she began looking for the building site.

They parked and got out, following Kouga as he led them another block to where a large group of people had gathered. Kagome noticed a truck filled with lumber and a table with papers held down by smaller pieces of lumber.

"Yuuma!" A voice called out. Kagome walked with Kouga and the rest of the group over to a small group, the person that had called out an older man with a long beard.

"Hey Hoshiro," Kouga greeted.

"And who are these two stunning young flowers?" The older man asked, eyeing Kagome and Ayumi, his smile so ridiculous it immediately set her at ease. Kagome smiled brightly, nodding a greeting.

"This is Kagome, my girlfriend, and Ayumi. Guys, this is Hoshiro, he's the one who told me about the program. And watch out, he likes beautiful women almost as much as he loves his bike."

"I'm hurt," Hoshiro said, shaking Kagome's hand but looking at Kouga. "I could never love anything as much as I love Shina."

"Shina?" Kagome asked, releasing his hand.

"His newest bike. He said that about the last two, so don't believe anything he says," Kouga laughed. Kagome nodded, surprised by his ease with the group as introductions were made. Kagome noticed that only a few other women had come, most of the group being male, and a great deal of them older and more grizzled looking.

Only a few minutes later someone called out for them all to pay attention, and Kagome listened carefully as they went over the plans for the day. It didn't sound like much, she realized. Putting in the giant flat boards on a frame already built on the foundation, and putting together and nailing the supports for the walls.

However, in less than an hour she felt like she was dying. Her arm, which had been even more sore than the day before, protested and ached, demanding she rest as she carried lumber back and forth, taking it from the truck to the area where they were operating two huge saws, and then to be nailed together, keeping directions straight in her head.

Ayumi worked with her, but the youkai had been recruited to help nail down the subflooring. Determined not to show how tired she was, and how much her arm hurt, she continued until she was told that they were done for the moment and to go work on the wall supports.

Hammering proved harder than she thought. She and Ayumi both bent at least a quarter of the nails and were forced to pull them out before putting in new ones. The only comfort was that several other people working on the frames seemed to be doing the same thing. Sweaty and hot, she lost track of time, only taking notice of anything around her when they finished one of the frames and men came and carried them off.

By the time one of the contractors shouted out, in a loud booming voice, that lunch was there, her whole body ached, but she felt like she could keep going. Ignoring it in favor of her stomach, she walked over to the tables set up with Ayumi and grabbed a wrapped burger, not caring if she got something she normally wouldn't eat.

Kouga took one look at her and tugged at her hand, pulling her over to the house itself and sitting down on the subflooring. Kagome noticed most of the group was doing something similar, forming small groups that she assumed were most likely based off of the garage they worked in. Ginta and Hakkaku laughed when Ayumi groaned and laid back, claiming to not even be hungry.

"It's hard work," Kouga agreed. "But it's worth it. The older woman over there," He said, nodding at a small group of women, one of them obviously very old. "This is for her and her family. Her husband died years ago, and she lived with her kids. They died in a car accident and she was left with the grandchildren, but no job or savings really, and it's more difficult for the elderly to find work. She'll work for the program, probably clerical work of some kind, to help pay for food, but the house and the land are hers."

Kagome had known, in a very abstract way, that they were building a house for someone, but it hadn't really sunk in what she was doing it for until she saw the woman, who was smiling gratefully and eating her burger.

"It's good that these programs exist," Kagome murmured quietly.

"Yup. Kouga's got a soft heart," Ginta agreed.

"Helps sponsor one every few months, this is the second this year," Hakkaku added, crumpling the wrapper for his burger and taking a long pull from his water bottle.

"I bet that would earn me brownie points with your mom," Kouga said, voice thoughtful. "Maybe you could invite your family for the next one."

"I might be in school," Kagome murmured. "But it couldn't hurt. Besides, it's not like I can't come back for a day or two."

"More than that," Kouga said, smiling.

"I forgot, wolves are notorious for getting lonely without someone to cuddle," She smirked. He rolled his eyes, but blushed nonetheless, crumpling up his own wrapper.

"Don't worry, there's always mutt piles," Ayumi added, giggling.

"Not as fun without you two," Ginta said.

"You guys are cuddly when you sleep."

"We are?" Kagome asked.

"You treat us like teddy bears," Kouga snorted. "I woke up last night to you pulling on my hair in your sleep."

"I did not," Kagome defended.

"You did, I heard him yelp," Hakkaku chortled.

"Oh like you can say anything?" Kouga growled. "I heard you grunting when Ayumi rolled over and smacked you."

"I didn't," Ayumi gasped, eyes wide in horror. "I'm so sorry," She added, looking at Hakkaku.

"It's not a problem. Better than Ginta kicking me."

"Can't help that I'm an active sleeper," Ginta defended, although he was smiling.

"Except for that time you got me in my balls," Hakkaku retorted.

"If anyone else heard this, they'd think you two were a couple," Kagome laughed.

"Not like you didn't when they showered together," Kouga reminded her.

"You thought-" Ginta asked, blushing vividly.

"That we," Hakkaku added, finger waggling back and forth between himself and Ginta.

"Well," Kagome defended, now blushing as well. "What would you think?"

"I sort of thought so too at first," Ayumi added, blushing.

"No way!" Hakkaku burst out.

"That's just-" Ginta was shaking his head back and forth, nose wrinkled.

"Logic," Kouga laughed, the sound loud as his whole body shook. Other groups looked over at them curiously, and Kagome felt like falling through the floor and curling up beneath the house, hopefully never to be seen or heard from again as Kouga continued laughing hysterically.

"What's wrong with him?" Kagome asked, staring at him.

"No idea," Ginta said flatly.

"He's finally snapped," Hakkaku added, his voice just as flat. Kouga righted himself, wiping his eyes and smiling.

"Oh come on," Kouga said, still grinning. "It's not like I said you were. It would just make sense from the perspective of someone who hasn't known you two as long as I have."

Neither of the ookami had anything to say to that, and it was only a minute later that the contractors were asking if everyone was done. People got up, some groaning and sniping about being too old while others poked fun at their moaning. Kagome herself felt old, the pain in her arm flaring up as she moved it.

The second part of the day turned out to be easier, mostly hammering and then being told to hold up the beam frames so they could be nailed in. She was able to hold three walls for the youkai, who were all working together. Kouga smiled up at her while she and Ayumi chattered idly with two of the other women holding the wall up. They were wives to two of the older bikers, making jokes and surprised that Kagome and Ayumi had gotten their permits. Kagome had the feeling that other women didn't try to learn riding so much as just riding behind their husbands, and felt a bit of pride, although she said nothing about it to the women.

When they were cleaning up the spare materials, she realized that Kouga had been right, and she and Ayumi both were so tired sleeping for a week sounded like a wonderful plan. When the contractors told them all it was over for the day, Kouga came over and hunched, and she pulled herself onto his back, clinging gratefully despite her aching body protesting the position. Ayumi was also being carried, holding fast to Ginta while they walked the block back to the truck.

"I take it a movie and dinner is a bad idea?" Kouga asked, chuckling lightly. The sound vibrated through him and into Kagome's body.

"Showers. Showers first. And then that if I don't kill myself in the shower," She told him firmly as he sat her down.

"Sounds like a plan," He agreed as he opened the door for her.

When they pulled out, several motorcycles were as well, and Kagome saw the women waving as they drove by, one arm wrapped around whoever was driving the bike.

"Is it strange for women to learn how to ride?" Kagome asked.

"For some kinds of bikers. There are plenty of female riders, but some people stick to stereotypes," Kouga told her.

"Stereotypes?" Kagome asked, confused.

"The male has the bike, the woman holds on. It's just how some guys work and the women go along with it."

"I don't understand that," Ayumi admitted quietly. "I think I'd rather learn how to ride than to hang on all the time."

"Some people just work differently. Like some people like the chopped up bikes with loud pipes and some like sport bikes. Just a matter of preference."

Kagome understood the concept, although she couldn't imagine having to hold on to Kouga forever, being designated to sit behind him.

They opted to go back to Ginta and Hakkaku's apartment, and she and Ayumi took turns showering before dressing in the clothes Ayumi had packed, simple jeans and shirts. The youkai took turns bathing while she and Ayumi lounged on the futons and dozed lightly, exhausted from their day.

"Want us to go grab food and a movie?" Kouga asked quietly. Kagome nodded sleepily, not protesting when one of the ookami threw a blanket over her and Ayumi. Ayumi's only response was to hug her pillow more tightly and shift closer to Ayumi. Kagome realized the ookami had been right, Ayumi at least, was a cuddler. As the front door closed, Ayumi had moved closer and was snoring again.

She gave in and closed her eyes, curling against her friend and dozing again.

It only felt like two or three minutes had passed when she heard the front door open and opened her eyes. Ayumi had indeed used her as a teddy bear, cuddling up to her and throwing an arm over her, but Kagome was just as disconcerted by the fact that she had a leg thrown over her friend's and was cuddling her back. She had intended to doze, but she knew she had to have hit a deep sleep not to remember shifting around.

The camera flashed and Kagome tilted her head, growling at Ginta.

"You two are adorable," Ginta said, smirking as he took another picture.

"I'm going to murder you," She threatened, untangling herself from Ayumi and stretching before getting up. Kouga was smirking at her, opening his mouth and then shutting it quickly.

"No comments from the peanut gallery?" Kagome asked.

"I'd get hit with reikon, and I'm not really in the mood," He answered cheerily, smirk firmly in place.

"I think I'm too tired. My arm is killing me," She muttered.

"Let me check it," Kouga demanded.

"It's normal-"

"Let me check it," He demanded. Kagome saw his expression firm, worry casting his eyes an odd gray, completely different from their normal carefree steel blue. Shrugging once she waited for him to set the bags on the table and followed him into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

"They can hear," She pointed out.

"Do you not want them to know?" Kouga asked, brows knit together.

"No, it's not that. I didn't know if you, I mean. Crap, this is embarrassing," She admitted. "I feel like I got caught smoking in the bathroom or something."

Kouga smiled at her comment, shaking his head and sitting on the bed. Kagome sat next to him and pulled up her shirtsleeve, waiting patiently for him to pull the bandaid off. It wasn't difficult, her shower having loosened the hold of the glue, but he made an unhappy sound as he did.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"It's bruised, really bruised."

"Is it red and swollen?"

"No, just bruised. I can see the ridge though, a line along the tape."

"That's the implant. I need to put another bandaid on it after I clean it really quick."

"I think there's a first aid kit in the truck if the guys don't have one. I'll go get it."

"I can-"

"I can get it Kagome, stay here."

He didn't use her name often, and him saying it drove the command home, making her sit dumbly while he walked out of the room and for the front door. She didn't even move to close the door to the bedroom, although she wished she had when Ayumi leaned against the frame, looking as worried as Kouga had.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's just bruised, but I think it freaked Kouga out," Kagome murmured.

"He's just worried about you. We don't like the idea of pack hurt," Ginta told her, peeking behind Ayumi.

"Wow, what did that?" Hakkaku asked, eyes widening. "What's that thing?"

"Under your skin," Ginta clarified.

Kagome ran her right hand over her face, wishing the bruise wasn't so visible and that they implant didn't stick out from her skin like a sore thumb. Groaning, she looked for words to explain what it was. Despite that, it felt like her tongue was tying itself in knots trying to force them out when she did grasp them.

"It's birth control," She finally told them, flushing heatedly.

"In your arm?" Ginta asked, blinking dumbly.

"It's an implant that releases the medication," She explained, feeling her face and chest burn with embarrassment.

"Oh, so you figured it out. Good," Hakkaku said, nodding firmly.

"Kouga was worried."

"Although I think cubs running around would be fun," Hakkaku sniggered.

"Not for awhile," Ginta rebutted.

"Are we really discussing this?" Kouga's voice growled from behind the group, who parted instantly to let him through.

"You two would make cute cubs," Hakkaku informed him smartly.

"They would be cute. Blue eyes, maybe those puppy ears like Inu Yasha had, only black."

"Puppy ears?" Ayumi asked, eyes widening with almost childish delight. "And a tail?"

"Oh my god," Kagome groaned, wishing she'd never brought it up. "Please stop right now before I zap all of you."

"I'm human, wouldn't work on me," Ayumi giggled.

"This does," Kouga growled, closing the door in the faces of their grinning friends. He turned to Kagome, first aid kit in hand, and sat on the bed, bouncing her slightly as he opened it and took out small packets of alcohol wipes and a bandaid.

"Sorry," She mumbled, still flushing.

"Not your fault. They just need to lay off shit."

"They asked what it was-"

"Which should have been enough of a clue to not talk about cubs."

"I should have just told them it was personal," She sighed.

"I thought you knew that personal doesn't seem to exist in pack," Kouga snorted, although the frustration seemed to leave him with the sound, the reminder of pack easing his own tension.

"I suppose not. It's a lot different than what I'm used to."

"I know, it's why I've been trying to get them to lay off a bit. I'm still surprised you and Ayumi didn't freak out when you woke up this morning."

"Why would we?" Kagome asked, confused. "We did the same thing the night before."

"We had reason that time, this time we just all passed out."

"As long as no one tries to have sex while we're all sleeping like that, I don't really mind. I don't think Ayumi does either, although she sleeps deeply enough I'm pretty sure you guys could snore the alphabet and she wouldn't notice."

Kouga laughed at her statement, opening one of the packets and wiping her arm. She flinched at the sting, but his touch was light, the pad wiping only enough to clean instead of bearing down on the bruise. He opened the next packet and repeated rubbing it lightly before opening the bandaid and putting it over the steristrips.

"You pushed it today," He murmured when she put her arm down.

"It was worth it though," She told him, leaning forward to give him a kiss. "Thank you."

"Silly human," He told her, smiling despite it. "Come on, grub and a movie."

"Pointless guy flick?" She asked as they got up.

"Well, the guys actually tried to get a movie with you two in mind, but they didn't believe me when I said you watched action flicks too."

"I feel like I should be concerned," She giggled. Kouga made a disgusted sound, his lip curling in distaste when he walked back out and the others had already moved the table back in place, the cartons of take out organized in the middle with plates and chopsticks. Ginta was working the television, putting a tape in the VCR with a smile.

"I think they secretly love chick flicks and watch them when I'm not around," Kouga muttered, sitting down. Kagome sat next to him, eyes on the television.

"You can't be serious," She asked the second the title faded into existence on the screen.

"I told you," Kouga muttered, although Kagome wasn't sure if it was directed at her or the two ookami who were blushing a very vivid pink beneath their tans.

"We asked the guy what girls would like," Ginta tried.

"This is-" Ayumi started.

"Too girly," Kagome said when her friend trailed off.

"Oh," Hakkaku murmured.

"The effort is nice," Kagome added hurriedly.

"But we're not really into these sorts of films, and I don't see why you guys should be forced to watch them and all of us cringing while trying to eat dinner," Ayumi finished.

"What else did you get?"

Hakkaku named two more titles, and Kagome was sure all three youkai were pleasantly surprised when she and Ayumi said the title of the comedy they'd picked at the same time. It wasn't the action flick Kouga had apparently picked, but it wasn't the romantic drama that the clerk had suggested.

Dinner went on as expected, filled with laughter and food sharing. Kouga complained about the chopsticks and threatened to eat with his fingers, stopping only when she threatened to feed him like a child. The movie ended and the action flick went in, minutes later filling the room with the sounds of explosions and bad one liners that Kagome and Ayumi couldn't help but laugh at.

And when the time came to clear the table she and her friend did dishes while the youkai prepared the living room to sleep in. After changing and laying down for the night, Kagome accepted that it was a strange sleeping arrangement, but a comforting one. After a day working together, laughing together, she was happy to finish the movie out pressed close to Kouga, eyes drifting shut even as Ayumi was snoring lightly.

Her last thought was that it would be lonely, sleeping alone again, and that she didn't want to do it if she could help it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: There are two extinct subspecies of wolves that were native to Japan, the Honshu wolf and the Hokkaido (Ezo) wolf.
> 
> I've done some work with Habitat for Humanity, and it is totally a chance to see how incompetent people are with power tools. Also, a really awesome time.


	18. Chapter 18

Kagome stared at the road, stomach filled with dozens of angry butterflies whirling in her stomach, determined to make her sick.

"You alright?" Kouga shouted, shield up.

"I'm fine," She promised. It was a lie. She did not feel fine. She felt sick. And stupid. And any other number of things that did not qualify as fine, unless it was the 'fine' Kouga was always bitching about.

The truck pulled out ahead of them, Ayumi waving from the window cheerily. Kagome wished she had half of the confidence her friend had in her.

"Relax, you can do it," Kouga told her before sliding his shield down. Kagome pushed hers down and exhaled before forcing each muscle in her body to relax.

Kouga waited patiently for her as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. The truck was waiting at the stop sign, and when she and Kouga pulled up behind it, they pulled out.

Hyper aware of every bump and dip in the road, she kept her gaze focused and tried to keep her attention on everything going on around her and on shifting appropriately. When they joined the main road and pulled into traffic, she felt her whole body tense so quickly it was almost like having a seizure, muscles tightening even as she forced them to relax.

At the first stop light she braced her feet on the ground and saw Kouga pulling up beside her. He gave a quick thumbs up and nod. Another exhale and the light changed. She started with a jerk before smoothing out, following Hakkaku as he navigated traffic, obviously taking pains to give her notice of where they would be turning. The entire time she was aware of every car on the road, especially the ones passing her with any speed. Kouga was behind her and off to her side, and she was keenly aware of his presence. Not wanting to disappoint him, she tried to recall everything he'd crammed into her head for the past month.

By the time they reached Taki's driveway, her heart was in her throat. Cutting the engine, she pulled her helmet off and dragged in a deep lungful of air.

"You did fine," Kouga assured her after taking off his helmet. The others cheered for her, and she would have blushed if she hadn't felt so off balance.

"I think my legs don't work," She admitted, and it was true. She felt cemented to the bike, her leg refusing to swing over for dismount. Kouga's answering smile did nothing to dispel the odd anxiety freezing her muscles. Unlike her, he dismounted smoothly, helmet and gloves left hanging on the handlebar as he strode over to her. His hands spanned her waist, lifting her effortlessly until she was standing on the driveway.

"You did good," He told her again, hands still on her waist and squeezing gently. Ayumi came up and hugged her from behind, whispering how proud she was. Ginta and Hakkaku both hugged her after, and her embarrassment hit full force, being put on the spot making her face flush.

"Thanks," She mumbled as the others began walking ahead of her for the door. Kouga's arm pulled her in, draping over her shoulders and settling comfortably.

"You-"

"If you say fine I'm going to zap you," She interrupted.

"It's only if a woman says fine-"

"Turnabout is fair play," She retorted archly, grateful for the banter as they walked inside. Obviously everyone felt comfortable enough to walk in without knocking, and Kouga dropped his jacket over the couch, immediately heading for the kitchen. She followed suit, surprised to see Taki at the stove.

"About damn time boy. Thought you were gonna duck out on dinner, eh?" She asked.

"Kagome's first ride," Kouga explained, leaning against the fridge. Taki spared a look over her shoulder and nodded.

"She's got that look. Havin' fun yet Kagome?"

"Yes?" She'd forgotten Taki's almost brusque manner and once again wondered what would happen when the woman met Ayumi.

"It gets easier. Just be careful if you're on the highway and a semi passes you. Shit terrified me the first time it happened," Taki admitted, waving a meat fork to illustrate her point.

"She did good," Kouga reiterated.

"Good. Now take this plate to the table," Taki commanded, stepping to the side so Kouga could grab the platter that was completely covered in a roast. Once the two of them were alone, Kagome considered following Kouga out, but thought better of it when Taki leaned against the counter.

"Good to see you stuck around after your vacation."

"I hadn't planned on going anywhere," Kagome admitted.

"Didn't think so. You two looked pretty stupid for each other first time I saw you," The woman snorted, a smirk tilting up the corners of her mouth. "It's a good thing. He's happy."

"You're not going to threaten me again, are you?"

"Do I need to?"

"Nope."

"All's well then. Let's get to the table before they eat everything. Those three are nothing but endless stomach," The woman grumped, although her smile hadn't faded. Kagome followed her out, surprised to see everyone already sitting at the table. Morete was introducing himself to Ayumi, who was smiling brightly while Ginta and Hakkaku both vied for the meat fork. Kouga ended the discussion by grabbing it and stabbing the roast unceremoniously.

"Must have been some vacation," Taki said, voice arch as she and Kagome sat down next to one another.

"It was," Kagome hummed, unable to stop her smile.

"The boys mentioned they would like to bring Ayumi by the warehouse."

"Another one learning?"

"I-" Ayumi said, smile faltering.

"Good. We need more women on the road. Only sensible riders out there," Taki chuckled, and Ayumi visibly eased. Kagome released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "If you're not busy tomorrow we can outfit you. Just get Tweedle Dee, Dope, or Dumbass to bring you by."

"Hey!" Kouga snapped, although Kagome could tell there was no real hostility to it.

"You're just mad because you know which one you are," Morete chuckled.

"Thank you ma'am," Ayumi murmured, face flushed a light pink.

"I'm not ma'am until I've yelled at you."

"Shouldn't take long," Kouga interjected as he began serving the roast. Kagome turned to him, wide eyed and ready with an admonishment when Taki and Morete laughed, the sounds twining together. Kagome turned to them, surprised by the smiles on their faces. Their hands were linked, fingers intertwined as the laughter quieted.

"Probably not," Taki finally agreed. "So tell me, the magical vacation, what did you kids get up to?"

Kouga started with finding Kagome, and then stories began to unfold. Several times Kagome and Ayumi both jumped in to correct the boys, and there were moments when their faces burned with embarrassment when the trio described Yuka and Eri even as they defended them.

The food disappeared but no one moved to leave the table unless it was to get another drink for someone. Kagome knew that she and Ayumi were both being interrogated, subtly by Morete and overtly by Taki, who had no qualms asking what they were doing, where they were going to school, what their dreams were. For each answer there was an approving nod, especially when college was mentioned. Kagome had a feeling Taki and Morete were both keeping an eye out for the boys, and she couldn't entirely blame them. Obviously they felt someone had to, and more than once she caught herself smiling, grateful they'd had that much for the past decade.

Throughout it all, Kagome marveled at Kouga, who was so much older than Taki and Morete both, but who treated them like parents. It was strange even as it added a sense of normalcy to their lives, taking them even further away from the image of the youkai she had known. Ginta and Hakkaku both acted the same way, and the only jarring points of the evening were when Morete and Taki referred to the trio by their new names instead of the ones Kagome was used to hearing.

It wasn't until the three ookami got up to clear the table that Kagome realized how late it was. When she moved to help, Kouga shook his head.

"Let them clear the table. Three is just about right for that kitchen, otherwise their dumb asses will break something," Taki chuckled as she sipped her beer.

With the three gone, the dining room felt conspicuously bigger. Kagome leaned back in her chair, not surprised to see Ayumi's eyes drifting shut.

"Now that you're on the road, you'll need to come by for new gear too," Taki pointed out. "Figure you can come by tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am."

"I haven't yelled at you yet."

"But you did hit me with your cane," Kagome pointed out cheekily, feeling relaxed enough with the other woman for banter.

"I did at that," Taki chuckled. "My prior threat stands though. You hurt Yuuma and-"

"Taki-" Morete warned.

"What?" Taki said, a smirk firmly in place. "Doesn't look like we have anything to worry about. They practically ooze rainbows and chocolate and baskets of puppies."

"I heard that," Kouga shouted from the kitchen. Kagome tried hard not to blush, 'baskets full of puppies' hitting too close to home in a myriad of awkward and terrifying ways. She wondered if Taki knew the truth about Kouga and his pack before deciding firmly she didn't, otherwise Kouga would be himself in the house.

"Good, you'll hear this," Taki retorted. "Don't fuck this up, she's a keeper."

Kagome choked on her drink and even Ayumi was alert, face blushing hotly.

"Now, about those grandbabies-" Taki started.

"Don't you fucking dare," Kouga muttered, stalking back into the room.

"I was just gonna say wait a few years," Taki said, all mock innocence. She ruined the effect with a smirk Kagome was beginning to recognize as her default expression, one completely her own.

"Kami. Kagome, ignore the crazy old woman."

"It won't be a problem," Kagome said, voice grave as she looked at Taki. She felt more than saw Kouga tensing, ready to stop her.

"Oh?"

"No kids. I want cats. At least a dozen," She stated firmly, doing everything in her power to keep a straight face.

The silence broke when Kouga sputtered indignantly, the only coherent words being 'fuck no', and she couldn't take it anymore, snorting when she tried to hold in the laugh that had been welling in her throat. Taki chortled and even Ayumi was giggling.

Kouga vanished back into the kitchen, muttering dourly about cats and crazy females.

"Does this old woman good, seeing all of you," Taki finally sighed, a genuine smile on her face. "Thought those boys were never gonna settle down, especially Yuuma."

"Wild wanderers?" Kagome asked, brow arched in imitation of Taki's.

"No, just focused. Thought for awhile they were all gay, to be honest."

"Damn it Taki!" Kouga snapped from the kitchen.

"Don't go breaking my dishes," Taki shouted back.

"It's good to see them happy," Morete added while Kouga let a string of expletives color the air in the kitchen, loud enough for them to hear. "And it's been wonderful meeting such lovely young women. Reminds you of us at their age, eh Taki?"

Kagome and Ayumi giggled brightly when the woman blushed and lightly smacked her husband's arm. It was obvious the two loved one another, and Kagome marveled at the strength of the bond between them.

"Don't know what you're talking about. You clubbed me over the head and dragged me to your cave," Taki muttered, obviously flustered. Kagome choked on a laugh at Morete's aggrieved expression.

"I could have sworn I saw some spitfire on her brother's motorcycle, stolen, I might add, and challenged her to a race. Then she accused me of cheating when I won."

"Because you did," Taki snapped, although her face was alight with good humor. "There's no other way your little piece of-"

"Tin, tin piece of overcompensation, is what you said," He smiled, the insult doing nothing to sour his expression.

"That was how you both met?" Kagome asked, unable to stop her smile.

"Mostly," Taki laughed.

"She made me race her again after I asked her to marry me. It was the only way she'd agree."

"Cheated then too."

"You just let me win."

The banter was unexpected and cute, and Kagome wondered if she and Kouga would ever get to a place like that with one another.

"Hey, we need to head out. I don't want Kagome driving when she's tired," Kouga murmured, coming up behind Taki to give her a hug around her shoulders.

"Don't be strangers. Missed you boys for dinner," Taki told him, a hand resting on his arm. "And the girls are fun."

"You're just saying that because she harasses me," He retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Someone has to keep you in line," Taki added with a wink in Kagome's direction.

"I can try," Kagome reminded her.

They stood to get ready, and Kagome was surprised when Taki pulled her into a one armed hug, quickly followed by Morete. Ayumi was equally surprised, but smiled and hugged back when the old couple embraced her before ushering them out to the living room.

"Take care," Morete told them as she shrugged on her jacket.

"Don't do anything too stupid," Taki added. Kagome nodded with a laugh, following Kouga out.

Taki and Morete both watched them pulling out of the driveway and waiting for the truck. The night had eased her anxiety, and she felt better about following the black truck through the darkness. Kouga was behind her again, following at a leisurely speed. Traffic was almost nonexistent, and she allowed a sense of peace to watch over her. Conversely, everything came in to sharper focus as she relaxed.

When they pulled in to the apartment's garage, Kagome allowed herself to giggle.

She'd made her first actual trip with no crashes, anxiety attacks, or other failures. When she pulled off her helmet, Kouga was already watching her, his hair sticking up awkwardly.

"Thank you," She breathed, helmet hugged tightly to her chest.

"No problem," He murmured, dismounting and pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

"How do those boys keep finding such tiny women?" Taki sighed, rolling her eyes. "You both sure you're old enough to be hanging around them? No worries about the law or anything coming after them?"

"Yes ma'am," Kagome stuttered, willing her blush away. Morete was away from the shop doing- Something vague, and that left Ayumi and her alone with the woman while Ginta rushed back to the shop to work on whatever it was they were working on there. Kagome had her own suspicions, but kept quiet when Ginta bolted.

"Good, don't want Yuuma to get arrested for sleeping with jailbait," Taki snorted.

"I'm a legal adult," Kagome retorted hotly.

"So you are sleeping together," The woman said, her smirk taking on a knowing quality that immediately made Kagome want to hide under the table.

"Oh my god," Kagome groaned, realizing too late what she'd walked into. "Taki-"

"Just be careful, alright? You're too young to get saddled with kids. You too Mouse."

"M- _Mouse_?" Ayumi sputtered, face turning a bright shade of red.

"Everything thinks just because I'm old, I'm blind," Taki muttered, eyes perusing the rows of boxes. "Kagome, those there, three down," She added, using her cane to point at a row. Eager to not have a discussion examining her sex life, she rushed forward and carefully began pulling a box out.

"And the next one below it."

In what turned into a game of jenga, Kagome and Ayumi both followed Taki through the warehouse collecting boxes and rushing them to the table where the stack began to grow. By the time they were looking at the boxes of helmets, Kagome felt like she was going to collapse from running back and forth through the building.

"Gotta build up your strength if you're gonna ride more often," Taki chuckled. Kagome looked at Ayumi, who was sporting a heavy flush and sweating lightly. She didn't envy her friend the moment she found out how hot gear could be. Maybe in winter it would be tolerable, but the summer heat made it almost unbearable.

"Alright you two, let's get you sorted out."

Taki helped them sort the boxes, and Kagome watched as Ayumi, wide eyed, walked into the bathroom to go change.

"She's a quiet one."

"She's shy," Kagome defended hotly, pulling on the jacket and immediately noticing the stiff back.

"Nothing wrong with quiet, just worried she'll get drowned out. The boys aren't exactly known for 'quiet'."

"She's more relaxed with them. It's just that-"

"I'm new and the boys probably terrified her with stories," Taki chuckled. Kagome slid a glance over to the older woman and hoped her expression didn't give anything away. Apparently it did, if Taki's amused snort was anything to go by. "Figured. Those boys-" A happy chuckle. "Just don't want her getting muffled by all their yammering. She seems sweet enough."

"She is, we've known each other since primary school," Kagome agreed.

"Those two knuckleheads seem pretty sweet on her," Taki added, and Kagome realized where the conversation was heading.

"She doesn't seem interested in them that way," Kagome lied, because Ayumi did seem interested. But she said, firmly, that she wasn't. "Besides, she would never cause problems, it's not how she is."

"A pretty girl always causes some problem for males," Taki snorted, rolling her eyes. "Mostly because men can't think with the proper head when it comes down to it."

"They can be pretty silly sometimes, can't they?" She mumbled.

"Trouble in paradise?" Take asked, brow arching and lips pinching in a small frown.

"No," Kagome grumbled, flushing hotly.

"Try the other one."

Kagome paused. It seemed rude to complain to Taki of all people, but she couldn't explain it to her own mother, who still had no idea that she had her permit, much less a motorcycle. And Ayumi was so enamored with the pack that she was hesitant to bring it up with her friend.

"K-Yuuma doesn't want me riding unless he's with me. Or one of the guys. I know it's because he wants me to be safe, but-" Kagome searched for words that wouldn't sound as damning as the ones in her head.

"It feels like he doesn't trust you on the bike?" Taki supplied easily. Kagome nodded, grateful the other woman seemed to understand, even if the words hanging in the air felt harsh even to her own ears.

"Yeah," She mumbled, slipping the jacket off and reaching for the pants and unzipping them. What she didn't say was that she felt childish again, that Kouga's command, and it had been nothing less, had almost killed the high she'd been feeling from completing her first trip.

Taki was quiet for a moment, the hand not gripping her cane running through her short hair and ruffling it. When she finally spoke, her voice was solemn, which in and of itself was unusual.

"Took Morete a year before he stopped asking me to call him all the time, let him know I got around safely," Taki admitted. "The accident got to him in a bad way. Even trying to keep his fears in perspective, it still chaffed."

"Is it because I'm female?" She asked as she slipped the armor over her jeans and began fastening it together. 'Female' was her substitute for human, the only equivalent she could think of.

Taki snorted, rolling her eyes, though her serious demeanor didn't fade. "It's because you're female and he's male, and he wants to protect you. It's not a bad thing, but you can't let it cage you in. Otherwise you might as well give up and get a car. Or sit behind him."

It wasn't what she had been expecting as advice at all, especially from Taki, who acted more like Kouga's mother than his friend. Not quite sure what to say, she squatted and straightened, feeling the movements of the armor over her clothes. Not snug, but not loose. She gave a nod, hands already moving for the zipper.

"Fits. Look Kagome, everyone lays their bike down at least once. Yuuma knows that, and it probably scares the hell out of him. But don't let someone else dictate if you're going to ride or not. You're the only one in the seat."

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled, surprised by the conviction ringing through the woman's words. Obviously her own wreck had given her a perspective Kagome hadn't considered, and she wondered how Morete had handled it, seeing Taki walking around with a cane and a prosthetic.

"Not a problem. Yuuma's a good kid, but as hardheaded as they come. Don't let him boss you around."

"I won't," She promised despite wondering how she and Kouga were going to figure it out.

"I feel so bulky," A voice whimpered from the general direction of the bathroom. Kagome turned just as Ayumi walked out in the same gear she'd been outfitted with weeks before.

"Builds character," Taki informed her smartly. "Squat, stretch. See how it fits."

Ayumi squatted and then bent over, touching her toes. From an outside perspective, Kagome realized just how bulky it all was, and sent a mental thank you to whatever deities were listening that she hadn't noticed it, otherwise she would have felt like a marshmallow. A lumpy, oddly shaped marshmallow.

"Looks fine. Take a look over the helmets, find one that's snug but let's you breathe. You too Kagome."

"But-" Kagome started, hand raising as if to emphasis whatever it was she had been about to say, which was cut off.

"Did I stutter?" Taki growled in an amazing imitation of Kouga. Not for the first time Kagome wondered if there was some ookami somewhere in Taki's lineage as she and Ayumi went through the helmets. Kagome found one almost immediately, and turned to Taki just as the cane came up to her head and struck soundly. Aside from her head tilting to compensate, Kagome couldn't feel anything.

"Looks good," Taki agreed when Kagome gave a thumbs up. Ayumi went through more slowly, and when she paused, one on her head, the cane came up and knocked against the helmet. Kagome was proud that Ayumi didn't fall over out of sheer surprise, but her knees were noticeably locked, her rigid posture visible despite the layers of armor.

"Any slipping?" Taki demanded. Ayumi shook her had vigorously. "Good. Go change, we'll get it all boxed up. 'Cept yours Kagome. I'll drop it off later, after I reinforce the seams."

Helmets came off, revealing mussed, messy hair.

"Fabulous," Kagome snickered. Ayumi stuck her tongue off before walking back to the bathroom, helmet still in hand, as though she'd forgotten to put it on the table.

"She know what the boys are doing back at the shop?"

"They didn't tell either of us. I have a feeling I know, but she hasn't caught on."

"Small wonder. Heard you didn't have any clue when Yuuma gave you yours."

"It- It just never occurred to me, you know?" Kagome admitted. "It's really- exorbitant. I'm still nervous about it." And she was. Despite everything Kouga had said, the gift of a motorcycle was still beyond comprehension, and she'd tried not thinking about it when it did come up. That Ayumi was probably going to get one eased her personal apprehension concerning it, making it seem more normal somehow. She could just pretend that was what pack did and ignore the hugeness of it.

"Big gift. But he doesn't do anything halfway, never has." There was something of a warning in there, and Kagome felt herself flush, arms hugging her sides as she considered the implications of that too.

"I suppose not. He's always been very-"

"Goal oriented?" Taki supplied, fingers in the air, curling as she said the words. Her expression was one of wry amusement.

Kagome was actually surprised, because that was the delicate way of putting it. Nodding once, she folded everything back up into the boxes and stretched.

"They give any hint about when we can go back?"

"Figure we'll head over there after some lunch. Oi, Mouse, you fall in?"

"No," Ayumi shouted through the door. "Just-" And then the door opened, a harried looking Ayumi frowning at them. "I think I'm stuck."

Taki burst into laughter while Kagome walked over to the bathroom to help her fix the minor snafu of the drawstring knot and Ayumi's overzealousness.

By the time they were finished and walked back out, Taki had a bag for Ayumi's things and Kagome's were conspicuously absent from the table.

"Thank you again," Ayumi murmured for the umpteenth time.

"Stop that. I'm a crazy old bat with a bad temper. Figure if I keep providing you lot with gear, I might actually balance out and get into heaven," Taki informed her smartly. "Besides, barely ever get orders for women your size, so better used than sitting and taking up room in the warehouse."

"It's okay Taki, you don't have to say it. We know you care," Kagome chuckled.

"Yuuma ever tell you you're a smartass?" Taki demanded as she got into the truck. Kagome got in the other side, Ayumi hopping in the back seat.

"All the time."

"Boy's got some brains after all," Taki sighed, eyes rolled up before pulling out. "Burgers good?"

"Fine by me," Kagome agreed, Ayumi murmuring her consent from the back.

"We'll bring something to the boys then too. Morete's probably already there."

"Really?" Ayumi asked. Kagome barely restrained the giggle that wanted to escape, instead forcing herself to watch the street signs around her. It had occurred to her, the night before, that if she was learning to ride, she'd have to know where she was going. She knew her part of the city pretty well from walking to school and going out with her friends, but apart from those few blocks, she didn't know how to get around outside of the bus line or train. Committing each sign to memory, she mouthed the names of streets, attempting to build a metal map and failing.

Ayumi and Taki were discussing Taki's business, something Taki was exceptionally proud of. Kagome listened with half an ear, eyes still on the street, as Taki described subverting an interest in fashion into an interest in making armor. She learned a little more about what Taki actually did, and was surprised to find out that despite the massive amounts of boxes lining the walls of the warehouse, Taki's business was mostly commissions.

A quick stop at a fast food restaurant and they were heading for the garage. Kagome was able to recognize the streets much more easily the closer they got, if only by virtue of getting slightly lost the first time she'd tried to find it with Ayumi.

When they pulled in, the doors to the garage were open, but there was a tarp over one of the motorcycles. Her suspicions confirmed, Kagome hopped out, bags of food in hand, and waved at the men sitting outside, their jumpsuits undone to the waist to reveal bared chests. Ignoring the initial flush that wanted to heat her face, she dropped the bags in Ginta's lap and said she was going to go get drinks for everyone.

Even if she hadn't been able to feel his youki behind her, she knew she'd feel the eyes boring into her back as she climbed the stairs. Feeling impish, she ran up the last few steps before slipping through the door and slamming it shut behind her, barely getting it closed before she heard a solid thump.

"Locking me out of my own place now?" Kouga's muffled voice muttered through the door. Despite his attempt to sound angry, she could hear the note of laughter in his voice.

"Maybe."

"Open the door Kagome."

"Persuade me."

"Per- Persuade you?" He demanded. "You're in my apartment."

"And you're not."

"Kagome, if you don't open the door, I'm-" He paused. She could almost see his thoughtful expression as he considered various threats.

"Your powers of persuasion are obviously impaired."

"No, they just don't work through a door," He retorted. "Too bad too, I know the guys would like some water."

"Dirty pool," Kagome muttered, contrition immediately settling in as she unlocked the door before running to the kitchen. She heard it close as she was opening the fridge, and a moment later Kouga was behind her, hands on her waist as she bent over to peer in the fridge.

"You're running low on water."

"I'll pick some up tonight," He murmured in her ear. Her head shot up, smacking the top of the fridge with a loud thump. She barely muffled a curse before turning to glare at him. For his part, Kouga was stepping back, hands raised in front of him warily, eyes wide.

"I imagined that going a lot better than it did."

"I'll bet. Your powers of persuasion need a little work," She huffed, rubbing the top of her head.

"You could always stay tonight," He offered as she tossed him a few bottles to carry. "Let me practice a little."

"That's- She paused, tapping a water bottle against her chin. "No, you're still not managing it. Nice try though, appeal to my need to help people," She finished, hoping she sounded cavalier as she shook her head and shrugged.

Kouga moved forward, crowding her back to the counter until the edge pressed into her back. Forced to choose between holding onto the water bottles in her hand or pushing him away, she held tight to the bottles and kept her expression neutral. Kouga leaned down, a smirk tilting up one side of his lips, before brushing them against hers. She could feel his smile before he nipped her lower lip, tugging it lightly before retreating only far enough to nuzzle her hair.

His teeth nipped her earlobe and one of the bottles fell to the floor. He immediately released his hold and slowly bent down. Her face hot, she stared up at the ceiling, determined not to give any ground in what had obviously turned into a game.

Stifling a giggle when he nuzzled her stomach, she held the remaining bottles more tightly, hugging them to her chest.

"How about you stay if I make you drop all the bottles?" He asked. She peeked down at him, brow arched in challenge.

"Deal."

His trademark smirk flashed before he was nuzzling her stomach through her shirt again, and she could feel him nipping at the fabric, pulling it from her skin as he he moved lower. His breath puffed out, creating warm spots of air on her shirt. A low rumble purred in his chest when he made it to the waist of her jeans. Slowly, tortuously slow, he moved to her thigh, nuzzling the softness of her flesh through the denim of her jeans before curving back to the apex. A muffled squeak sounded somewhere as he nipped the soft flesh of her inner thigh.

And then he was nipping her hip, tickling her so abruptly all the bottles fell from her hands and bounced off of his head and bare shoulders before rolling all over the floor. She clutched his shoulders, tried to push him away, except she was laughing too hard, the nips finding the most ticklish spots around her hipbones.

"S-Stop," She finally managed, wriggling away and stepping to the side, arms wrapping around her sides as she tried to catch her breath.

"Looks like you're staying here tonight," He declared, smirk firmly in place as he gathered the fallen bottles. She gave him her best, unimpressed glare. It rolled over him as he stood, smirk not diminished in the least.

"Weren't you the one that said the guys were probably thirsty?" She pointed out when he didn't move from in front of her, effectively trapping her in the corner.

"Got me in the door, didn't it?"

"You-" She sputtered.

"Me," He chuckled, wolfish grin widening as he headed for the door. She followed, still huffing as they walked downstairs and back into the garage. The tarp was still draped over the bike, and everyone else was still outside eating. Taki and Ayumi were perched on the tailgate of Taki's truck, and Morete leaned against it, Ginta and Hakkaku on the concrete looking up at them as they talked about the modifications Kouga had made to Taki's breaks.

"You two get lost up there?" Taki snorted when they stepped into the sunlight.

"She was throwing water bottles at me," Kouga smirked.

"Good for you Kagome," Hakkaku laughed.

"Keep boss in line," Ginta added.

Kagome flushed, accepting the bottle Kouga tossed her way before sitting on the tailgate next to Ayumi and digging a burger out of the bag. There was a sense of tension in the air, a nervous anxiety in the way Ginta and Hakkaku babbled more than usual. Even if she hadn't guessed before, their behavior would have given it away.

Luckily, Ayumi seemed cheerfully oblivious, listening to them both babbling as she ate. When she finished, she threw her wrapper back in the bag and leaned back until she was laying down, the sun warming her as her legs dangled off the tailgate. One by one wrappers were tossed into the empty bag until everyone was finished except Taki. Kagome was positive the woman was eating slowly just to torture everyone else that knew.

When she finished, Ginta and Hakkaku were off the ground and pulling at Ayumi's hands before the wrapper had even made it into the bag. Ayumi, adorably mystified and wide eyed, followed them inside the garage. Kouga grabbed Kagome's hand, tugging her until he could drape his arm over her shoulder. Reveling in the feeling of his bare skin, she allowed herself to be tucked to his side as they followed the trio inside.

Ginta walked behind Ayumi and covered her eyes, and Hakkaku pulled the tarp from over the bike.

"Surprise!" Echoed in two voices when Ginta's hands dropped. Kagome couldn't see Ayumi's face, but she saw her friend's shoulders tense and her head turning to look from the motorcycle to Hakkaku, and then to spin and look at Ginta.

"That-" Ayumi stuttered.

"It's for you."

"To practice."

Another minute passed in utter silence as Ayumi looked from the bike to youkai, to bike to other youkai, and back to the bike again, face flush and eyes wide.

"I- I can't, it's-"

"Best just to say thank you," Kouga grumped, and Kagome couldn't help but elbow him in the side gently.

"Thank you," Ayumi whispered, looking to Ginta, then Hakkaku, and finally Kouga. "This is amazing, I just didn't, I don't-"

"You wanted to learn to ride, right?" Kouga asked when the two youkai's shoulders began to sag, expressions of excitement fading into confusion. "Best to learn on something small so you don't hurt yourself. And you won't find anything appropriate out of a factory."

"Of course, this is just- Big," Ayumi admitted, smiling shyly at Ginta and Hakkaku. "Thank you. It's wonderful."

"Well don't just stare at it," Taki said, breaking through the tension with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. "Get on, see how it feels."

Ayumi walked over to the bike, where it still stood up with the aid of the swingarm stand. Hakkaku fiddled with it and pushed it free. Gingerly, like it would suddenly start moving, Ayumi mounted, settling down into the seat and reaching forward.

"I-I like it," She admitted, smiling up at the two youkai still watching her carefully. "I don't have to lean forward too far."

"Just wait, even that will hurt the first few days," Morete chuckled.

"I remember, Kagome was sore the first few days too."

"Or it could have just been-" Ginta started, a sly smile forming.

"If you even dare, I'll-" Kagome started, waving a finger at him angrily, the flush in her cheeks quickly burning.

"Play with the leftovers," Kouga growled.

"I could get into taxidermy," Kagome added thoughtfully. Taki laughed, and the tension that had been building completely vanished. Even Ayumi seemed more at ease, hands resting on the bike and feet bracing on the ground.

"Best remember boys, the girls can run away now, pretty quick too. Best start behavin', or else you'll have to chase them," Morete admonished, his voice filled with quiet laughter.

"I know I could catch her," Kouga boasted. "No one's faster than me."

"Kagome, maybe you should ask him about the time he modified a hayabusa," Morete asked. "Later, when he's getting too big for his pants."

Kagome peeked up at Kouga, surprised to see his face had turned a bright shade of red. He muttered something unintelligible except for a curse word or two.

"I'll be sure to," Kagome promised, directing a saucy smile up at her boyfriend.

"Alright, enough. We need to get cleaned up," Kouga muttered. "You two bozos coming, or are you gonna just stare all day?"

"We're going to head out, got places to be," Taki said as she closed the tailgate. Morete was waving and climbing in the other side.

"How did he get here?" Kagome asked, blinking in confusion.

"His bike. He wanted me to work on it a bit, give it a full skirt."

"Oh. I actually thought he was delivering something," Kagome chuckled.

"He did, the bike. Although, don't think he would have missed this for the world. Still a little pissed he missed you getting yours."

"He barely knows us," She defended as the others climbed the stairs for the apartment.

"Yeah, but he knows you're both ours, which kind of makes you theirs. Ever since Mikon passed," He paused, then shrugged. "I think it makes them happy, to still have family."

"You too," She observed. "It's not traditional, but it fits, you know? They care about all of you."

"They do. They're good people."

"Do they know?" Kagome asked as they headed for the stairs.

"Sometimes I wonder," Kouga shrugged, pausing and leaning against the doorjamb. "It's not like we can make ourselves look older, takes more magic and skill than we've got, so we haven't aged to them. And they overlook the little things, like my accident. I should have been a lot worse off and they didn't seem all that surprised when I was back on my feet in a couple of weeks. But they've never said anything about it, so we don't."

Kagome nodded, wondering at the fine line the family seemed to walk.

"Either way, doesn't matter," She murmured.

"Not a bit," Kouga agreed, following her upstairs. Ayumi was lounging on the couch and there were noises in the bedroom as the guys changed. Kouga closed the door behind him and Kagome sat on the arm of the couch, looking down at her friend, surprised to see a frown.

"It's a really big deal," Ayumi whispered quietly.

"It is," Kagome agreed. "But it's how they are. Probably best to just accept with grace and count yourself lucky."

"I know, I just feel-" Ayumi searched for words. "All of this free stuff. I'm not used to it. I don't want anyone to think I'm taking advantage, you know?"

"I know. I don't think they get how big it is to us. It's-" Kagome paused, looking for the words that would soothe Ayumi's conscience and possibly quiet the needling that had persisted ever since Kouga had presented her with her own bike. "I think it's part of the pack dynamic. Not the gift giving, that's incidental. But they saw that we wanted to learn, and it was something they could help with, so they did."

"That's about the long and the short of it," Kouga said from his spot at the door, startling the both of them. "Pack helps eachother and takes care of eachother. We were just in a position to do a lot more than normal. If we had different jobs and you wanted to learn, we couldn't have done much besides moral support or whatever."

"I can just see you waving pompoms while I ride," Kagome giggled. Kouga rolled his eyes and walked back into his room. Ginta and Hakkaku emerged, both in regular clothes.

"We were thinking about going to catch a movie."

"To celebrate. Maybe dinner after," Hakkaku added.

"Sounds good," Ayumi smiled. "I'm sorry if I seemed ungrateful earlier-"

"Not a problem," Ginta shrugged, smile firmly back in place.

"We understand how big it is now," Hakkaku added, obviously at ease.

"Everybody over their issue now?" Kouga asked as he walked back out, pulling his hair into a pony tail. "Good," He added without waiting for an answer. "So, movie?"

"Seems like a good idea," Kagome murmured.

"Never going to turn down being in a dark room with you," He told her, brushing a kiss on top of her head as he passed by her to the kitchen. Ginta and Hakkaku started making kissing noises and Ayumi huffed when Kagome pulled one of the cushions from behind her and smacked both youkai.

"Juvenile," Kagome muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Jealous," Kouga added, coming up behind her and draping his arms over her shoulders. "Let's get going, might get a show in before they start getting crowded."

Kagome grabbed her jacket and helmet from the coffee table and wished for the gear she'd picked out, feeling oddly naked next to Kouga, who was wearing his full riding suit. Knowing it would only be a few days, she walked downstairs and saw the others had already pulled on their gear and were heading for their bikes.

"Feel like hanging on today?" Kouga asked. Despite not wanting to, Kagome realized she didn't know what traffic would be like and nodded, pulling on her helmet and walking for Kouga's bike. Plenty of time for more practice, and she knew he wouldn't have asked if he felt she could handle riding on her own.

It didn't stop the feeling of dependence when she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

* * *

"I thought they'd never let us go," Kouga sighed as the others pulled out of the parking lot.

"You make it sound like they're your ball and chain," Kagome giggled, pulling herself up behind him, helmet dangling from her hand as she settled in.

"It's nice being together, but we haven't been alone for a week," He grumbled.

"Four days," She corrected, nuzzling his back. "Not that long."

"Four days is forever. And those two are tiptoeing around Ayumi like morons-"

"Hey, that's their business, not ours," She interrupted, hoping for a reprieve before being forced to confront that issue. The events of the day had only made it more apparent that whatever was going on with Ayumi and the two youkai, it went beyond 'just friends'. Hoping Taki was incorrect and the two were behaving like normal, affectionate ookami, she shied away from the similarity of that comparison to what she had thought of Kouga's initial flirting.

"Whatever," He sighed, laying his arms over hers and squeezing them. "Figure it out when it happens."

"Until then, I do believe we're having a sleepover tonight," She reminded him. "One that doesn't involve a mutt pile."

"Hopefully a real bed."

"You've gotten spoiled in your old age," She teased, pulling her helmet on and muffling whatever his retort was. He pulled his helmet on and leaned forward. The bike rocked beneath her and she tightened her grip on his waist, reveling in the feel of the motorcycle purring to life. Turning her head to the side, she watched as the world began to move and Kouga pulled into traffic.

Navigating smoothly around the cars, he picked up speed on a turnoff, the road empty. In the darkness, the lights of the world around them seemed especially bright, each blurring as he continued to open the throttle. After the first ten minutes, she realized he was taking a longer way back to the garage and smiled softly. Allowing herself a moment of contentment away from the noise of the pack, she savored the silence as the purr of the engine faded into white noise and then nothingness. Kouga was warm in her arms, his body moving naturally with the motorcycle to help guide it. Any resentment at having to hold on to him faded as she took in the vague, shadowy outlines of buildings in the distance, their lights nothing more than brief flashes before they were gone.

When they finally pulled into the parking lot of the garage, she was sorry for the ride to end. Slipping off, she walked next to Kouga, watching patiently as he entered the keycode for the garage door and pulled the door up. Wishing she could see his expression after the ride, whether it was troubled or if he felt better, she pulled her own helmet off and tugged off her gloves, dropping them inside and beginning to work on unzipping her jacket.

"You alright?" He asked, expression quizzical.

"Fine," She sighed, stretching her arms over her head and allowing her back to relax. An appreciative groan started in her chest and erupted into the air when her back popped. Just as she was relaxing her helmet was plucked from her fingers and Kouga tossed it onto the nearby workbench.

A breathless squeak escaped when he picked her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he walked for the bench behind her and sat her on it, lips already pressing against her own. His tongue was hot sliding over her lip, demanding entrance as his hands pushed her jacket off. Struggling with the stiff sleeves, she huffed in frustration, growing impossibly more frustrated when she felt him laughing into the kiss.

"Are we seriously doing this? Here?" She mumbled as she tugged at the zipper of his jacket impatiently, eager to see him beneath all of the armor, wanting to feel the heat of him without the bulk of his gear between them.

"There's stairs," He muttered, tugging at her boots. "Fuck stairs." Each boot landed with a hollow thump on the concrete floor, emphasizing his words.

"They'll be able to smell it," She whimpered as his hands slid under her shirt to smooth over her stomach and around to her back. Claws moved over the surface of her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

"Don't care. You?" He punctuated his question by nipping at the juncture of her neck and shoulders, and she shook her head, finally managing to get the zipper down and pushing at the shoulders, tugging it off of his arms. It dropped to the floor and she tugged at his shirt next, pulling it over his head and tossing it to join the growing pile of clothing. The sense of urgency only grew as she ran her hands over his chest, gripped his shoulders. With impatient, demanding movements he was pushing her arms up so he could pull her shirt over her head before it joined his.

Hot breath fanned over her breasts as he nuzzled the valley between them, inhaling and exhaling sharply. Tugging at his hair, she swallowed the sound rising in her throat, gasping when he bit lightly at her nipple through the lace of her bra. Beyond caring about where they were having sex, she shimmied her hips, helped him as he fumbled with her jeans and pulled them down, taking her underwear with them. The metal bench was cold to her skin, a harsh contrast to the heat of her flesh.

Keening into his mouth when he grabbed her thighs and pulled her closer, she moved against him, pulling at his hair until he was kissing her again. His hand moved down between them, slipping over the slick wetness before the flat of his thumb circled her clit once, and then again and again. Kouga swallowed the gasps and cries that bubbled up in her throat, groaning when her legs tightened around him. Fangs nipped her lower lip painfully, tugging lightly before letting go, his tongue sweeping out to soothe the ache.

"Please," She whimpered, repeating the word like a mantra, oblivious to the fact that she was begging. Barely aware of his hands moving and the sound of foil ripping, she ground against him, hands following the lines of muscle that moved beneath his skin before he was pushing into her. Desperate for something to hold onto, she grabbed his shoulders even as she used her legs to pull him in closer, deeper. Claws pricked the flesh of her back, his large hands supporting her. Friction sparked along her nerve endings, fever bright and drowning with each thrust.

The tension broke, snapped through her body. The long, ragged moan echoed through the garage, off of the walls. Kouga didn't stop, his ragged breathing muffled by her neck. With every movement of his hips, of his hands gripping her skin he was dragging her orgasm out, winding her out like a thinning thread of consciousness until she was barely able to breathe.

He stilled abruptly, his body tensing then shuddering, almost melting into her.

A breathless laugh escaped into the air, and she was surprised to realize it was her own.

"Did we really just-" She paused, unable to stop a half delirious giggle from escaping.

"Christen the garage?" He finished, his snort sounding wet against her sweaty skin.

Another giggle, and then another, and she didn't know why they were laughing, but they were, and it was enough to just let it happen, their laughter echoing in the place of their earlier pleasured moans.

Kouga held onto her legs as he pulled away, keeping them wrapped around his waist. She held tight to him, arms over his shoulder and face buried in the crook of his neck. He took two steps back and reconsidered.

"My pants are falling down," He muttered. She smiled lazily and dropped one hand to his waist to pull at the waistband of his pants.

"Teamwork," She mumbled, earning an amused rumble as he continued walking for the stairs.


End file.
